Human ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme homologs

ABSTRACT

The invention provides human ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme homologs (UCEH) and polynucleotides which identify and encode UCEH. The invention also provides expression vectors, host cells, antibodies, agonists, and antagonists. The invention also provides methods for diagnosing, treating or preventing disorders associated with expression of UCEH.

This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/058,368 filed on Apr. 9, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,568, entitled NUCLEIC ACIDS ENCODING HUMAN UBIQUITIN-CONJUGATING ENZYME HOMOLOGS, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to nucleic acid and amino acid sequences of human ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme homologs and to the use of these sequences in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer, autoimmune disorders, and neuronal disorders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The ubiquitin system is a major pathway for selective protein degradation. (Finley D. et al. (1991) Annu. Rev. Cell Biol. 7: 25-69.) Degradation by this system is instrumental in a variety of cellular functions such as DNA repair, cell cycle progression, signal transduction, transcription, and antigen presentation. The ubiquitin pathway also eliminates proteins that are misfolded, misplaced, or that are in other ways abnormal. This pathway requires the covalent attachment of ubiquitin (E1), a highly conserved 76 amino acid protein, to defined lysine residues of substrate proteins.

Substrate recognition by this pathway involves a specialized recognition and targeting apparatus, known as the ubiquitin-conjugating system. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) and ubiquitin-protein ligase (E3), either independently or in conjunction, catalyze isopeptide formation between the carboxyl terminus of ubiquitin and amino groups of internal lysine residues of target proteins. (Scheffner M. et al. (1995) Nature 373: 81-83.) Ubiquitin-protein conjugates are then recognized and degraded by a specific protease complex, the 26S proteasome. Both E2 and E3 exist as protein families, and their pattern of expression is thought to determine substrate specificity. (Nuber U. et al. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271: 2795-2800.) For example, E6 oncoprotein of the cancer-associated human papillomavirus types 16 and 18, inactivates the tumor suppressor protein p53 via the ubiquitin protein degradation pathway. An E3 protein, E6-AP, and an E2 protein, either UbcH5 or UbcH7, complex with E6 and specifically conjugate ubiquitin to p53. (Scheffner M. et al. (1993) Cell 75: 495-505; Nuber et al., supra.) Other E2 proteins are not sufficient for p53 ubiquitination, thus UbcH5 and UbcH7 appear to be involved in the specific targeting of p53 for degradation.

The yeast ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, Ubc3, also known as CDC34, plays a crucial role in the progression of the cell cycle from the G1 to S. Correct positioning of ubiquitin on a surface of Ubc3 is a requirement for cell cycle transition. (Prendergast J.A. et al. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270: 9347-9352.) Mutation studies have suggested that amino acid residues S73, S97, and S139 of Ubc3 may be critical for substrate specificity, while C95 is the site of catalytic activity. (Liu Y. et al. (1995) Mol. Cell Biol. 15: 5635-5644.) An alteration in C95 and another highly conserved amino acid, L99, results in a dominant negative mutation. (Banerjee A. et al. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270: 26209-26215.) Overexpression of this mutation of Ubc3 blocks cell growth in otherwise wild type strains.

A decrease in muscle mass, known as muscle wasting or cachexia, has been shown to be associated with the ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic system. Rats bearing the Yoshida AH-130 ascites hepatoma for 7 days showed a significant decrease in muscle mass in relation to non-tumor bearing controls. (Llovera M. et al. (1995) Int. J. Cancer 61: 138-141.) The muscle wasting was found to be associated with an increased proteolytic rate related to the ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic system. Muscle wasting is common among human cancer patients. In addition to cancer, ubiquitin-dependent muscle wasting is also influenced by nutritional manipulation such as fasting and dietary protein deficiency, muscle activity and disuse, AIDS, and the pathological conditions, sepsis, trauma, and acidosis. (Attaix D. et al. (1994) Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 34: 583-597.) In a rat model for long lasting sepsis, researchers found that E2 mRNA levels increase during the acute and chronic disease phases and parallel a rise in muscle protein breakdown. (Voisin L. et al. (1996) J. Clin. Invest. 97: 1610-1617.)

Evidence from experiments on mouse and rabbit reticulocytes indicates that ubiquitin conjugation is a key rate-limiting step in antigen presentation. (Grant E.P. et al. (1995) J. Immunol. 155: 3750-3758.) The rates of degradation of beta-galactosidase constructs correlated with the rates of class I antigen presentation in vivo. This shows that ubiquitin degradation pathways may have a critical role in generating major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-presented peptides.

The presence of ubiquitin and ubiquitin conjugates has been detected in patients affected by neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Whereas the intracellular amyloid beta-protein precursor (APP) did not show appreciable ubiquitin-mediated degradation, three extracellular APP forms were degraded by this proteolytic pathway, suggesting a potential regulatory role for the ubiquitin-dependent system in the in vivo APP metabolic pathway. (Gregori L. et al. (1994) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 203: 1731-1738.) Paired helical filaments (PHF) are fibrillar structures that accumulate in degenerating neurons in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. One component of PHF, the PHF-smear, consists of the tau protein fragment bound to ubiquitin. (Morishima M. et al. (1994) Dementia 5: 282-288.)

Depletion of specific cellular proteins may have many medical and agricultural benefits. Redirecting the ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway may facilitate specific proteolytic removal. Five examples in which target recognition by E2s was redefined by engineering E2s to contain appropriate protein-binding peptides fused to their C termini have been reported. (Gosink M. M. et al. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 92: 9117-9121.) Thus, it may be possible to design E2s capable of directing the selective removal of many intracellular proteins, such as those implicated in pathogenesis, for example in Alzheimer's disease. The ability to selectively modulate E2 activity may be useful for treating diseases associated with protein degradation, such as Alzheimer's disease, muscle wasting syndrome, or for targeting undesired proteins for degradation, such as in the case of viral infections and cancer.

The discovery of new human ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme homologs and the polynucleotides encoding them satisfies a need in the art by providing new compositions which are useful in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer, autoimmune disorders, and neuronal disorders.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention features substantially purified polypeptides, human ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes, referred to collectively as “UCEH” and individually as “UCEH-1,” “UCEH-2,” and “UCEH-3.” In one aspect, the invention provides a substantially purified polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3.

The invention further provides a substantially purified variant having at least 90% amino acid identity to the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, or SEQ ID NO:3, or to a fragment of any of these sequences. The invention also provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3. The invention also includes an isolated and purified polynucleotide variant having at least 90% polynucleotide sequence identity to the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3.

Additionally, the invention provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3, as well as an isolated and purified polynucleotide having a sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3.

The invention also provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:4, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:5, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:6. The invention further provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide variant having at least 90% polynucleotide sequence identity to the polynucleotide sequence comprising a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:4, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:5, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:6, as well as an isolated and purified polynucleotide having a sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:4, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:5, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:6.

The invention further provides an expression vector containing at least a fragment of the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3. In another aspect, the expression vector is contained within a host cell.

The invention also provides a method for producing a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3, the method comprising the steps of: (a) culturing the host cell containing an expression vector containing at least a fragment of a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide under conditions suitable for the expression of the polypeptide; and (b) recovering the polypeptide from the host cell culture.

The invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a substantially purified polypeptide having the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3 in conjunction with a suitable pharmaceutical carrier.

The invention further includes a purified antibody which binds to a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3, as well as a purified agonist and a purified antagonist to the polypeptide.

The invention also provides a method for treating or preventing a cancer, the method comprising administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of an antagonist of the polypeptide having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3.

The invention also provides a method for treating or preventing an autoimmune disorder, the method comprising administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of an antagonist of the polypeptide having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3.

The invention also provides a method for treating or preventing a neuronal disorder, the method comprising administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of an antagonist of the polypeptide having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3.

The invention also provides a method for detecting a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3 in a biological sample containing nucleic acids, the method comprising the steps of: (a) hybridizing the complement of the polynucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and a fragment of SEQ ID NO:3 to at least one of the nucleic acids of the biological sample, thereby forming a hybridization complex; and (b) detecting the hybridization complex, wherein the presence of the hybridization complex correlates with the presence of a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide in the biological sample. In one aspect, the nucleic acids of the biological sample are amplified by the polymerase chain reaction prior to the hybridizing step.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Before the present proteins, nucleotide sequences, and methods are described, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology, protocols, cell lines, vectors, and reagents described, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention which will be limited only by the appended claims.

It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “a host cell” includes a plurality of such host cells, and a reference to “an antibody” is a reference to one or more antibodies and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods, devices, and materials are now described. All publications mentioned herein are cited for the purpose of describing and disclosing the cell lines, vectors, and methodologies which are reported in the publications and which might be used in connection with the invention. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

Definitions

“UCEH,” as used herein, refers to the amino acid sequences of substantially purified UCEH obtained from any species, particularly a mammalian species, including bovine, ovine, porcine, murine, equine, and preferably the human species, from any source, whether natural, synthetic, semi-synthetic, or recombinant.

The term “agonist,” as used herein, refers to a molecule which, when bound to UCEH, increases or prolongs the duration of the effect of UCEH. Agonists may include proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, or any other molecules which bind to and modulate the effect of UCEH.

An “allelic variant,” as this term is used herein, is an alternative form of the gene encoding UCEH. Allelic variants may result from at least one mutation in the nucleic acid sequence and may result in altered mRNAs or in polypeptides whose structure or function may or may not be altered. Any given natural or recombinant gene may have none, one, or many allelic forms. Common mutational changes which give rise to allelic variants are generally ascribed to natural deletions, additions, or substitutions of nucleotides. Each of these types of changes may occur alone, or in combination with the others, one or more times in a given sequence.

“Altered” nucleic acid sequences encoding UCEH, as described herein, include those sequences with deletions, insertions, or substitutions of different nucleotides, resulting in a polynucleotide the same as UCEH or a polypeptide with at least one functional characteristic of UCEH. Included within this definition are polymorphisms which may or may not be readily detectable using a particular oligonucleotide probe of the polynucleotide encoding UCEH, and improper or unexpected hybridization to allelic variants, with a locus other than the normal chromosomal locus for the polynucleotide sequence encoding UCEH. The encoded protein may also be “altered,” and may contain deletions, insertions, or substitutions of amino acid residues which produce a silent change and result in a functionally equivalent UCEH. Deliberate amino acid substitutions may be made on the basis of similarity in polarity, charge, solubility, hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, and/or the amphipathic nature of the residues, as long as the biological or immunological activity of UCEH is retained. For example, negatively charged amino acids may include aspartic acid and glutamic acid, positively charged amino acids may include lysine and arginine, and amino acids with uncharged polar head groups having similar hydrophilicity values may include leucine, isoleucine, and valine; glycine and alanine; asparagine and glutamine; serine and threonine; and phenylalanine and tyrosine.

The terms “amino acid” or “amino acid sequence,” as used herein, refer to an oligopeptide, peptide, polypeptide, or protein sequence, or a fragment of any of these, and to naturally occurring or synthetic molecules. In this context, “fragments,” “immunogenic fragments,” or “antigenic fragments” refer to fragments of UCEH which are preferably about 5 to about 15 amino acids in length, most preferably 14 amino acids, and which retain some biological activity or immunological activity of UCEH. Where “amino acid sequence” is recited herein to refer to an amino acid sequence of a naturally occurring protein molecule, “amino acid sequence” and like terms are not meant to limit the amino acid sequence to the complete native amino acid sequence associated with the recited protein molecule.

“Amplification,” as used herein, relates to the production of additional copies of a nucleic acid sequence. Amplification is generally carried out using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technologies well known in the art. (See, e.g., Dieffenbach, C. W. and G. S. Dveksler (1995) PCR Primer, a Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Press, Plainview, N.Y., pp. 1-5.)

The term “antagonist,” as it is used herein, refers to a molecule which, when bound to UCEH, decreases the amount or the duration of the effect of the biological or immunological activity of UCEH. Antagonists may include proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, antibodies, or any other molecules which decrease the effect of UCEH.

As used herein, the term “antibody” refers to intact molecules as well as to fragments thereof, such as Fab, F(ab′)₂, and Fv fragments, which are capable of binding the epitopic determinant. Antibodies that bind UCEH polypeptides can be prepared using intact polypeptides or using fragments containing small peptides of interest as the immunizing antigen. The polypeptide or oligopeptide used to immunize an animal (e.g., a mouse, a rat, or a rabbit) can be derived from the translation of RNA, or synthesized chemically, and can be conjugated to a carrier protein if desired. Commonly used carriers that are chemically coupled to peptides include bovine serum albumin, thyroglobulin, and keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). The coupled peptide is then used to immunize the animal.

The term “antigenic determinant,” as used herein, refers to that fragment of a molecule (i.e., an epitope) that makes contact with a particular antibody. When a protein or a fragment of a protein is used to immunize a host animal, numerous regions of the protein may induce the production of antibodies which bind specifically to antigenic determinants (given regions or three-dimensional structures on the protein). An antigenic determinant may compete with the intact antigen (i.e., the immunogen used to elicit the immune response) for binding to an antibody.

The term “antisense,” as used herein, refers to any composition containing a nucleic acid sequence which is complementary to the “sense” strand of a specific nucleic acid sequence. Antisense molecules may be produced by any method including synthesis or transcription. Once introduced into a cell, the complementary nucleotides combine with natural sequences produced by the cell to form duplexes and to block either transcription or translation. The designation “negative” can refer to the antisense strand, and the designation “positive” can refer to the sense strand.

As used herein, the term “biologically active,” refers to a protein having structural, regulatory, or biochemical functions of a naturally occurring molecule. Likewise, “immunologically active” refers to the capability of the natural, recombinant, or synthetic UCEH, or of any oligopeptide thereof, to induce a specific immune response in appropriate animals or cells and to bind with specific antibodies.

The terms “complementary” or “complementarity,” as used herein, refer to the natural binding of polynucleotides under permissive salt and temperature conditions by base pairing. For example, the sequence “A-G-T” binds to the complementary sequence “T-C-A.” Complementarity between two single-stranded molecules may be “partial,” such that only some of the nucleic acids bind, or it may be “complete,” such that total complementarity exists between the single stranded molecules. The degree of complementarity between nucleic acid strands has significant effects on the efficiency and strength of the hybridization between the nucleic acid strands. This is of particular importance in amplification reactions, which depend upon binding between nucleic acids strands, and in the design and use of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) molecules.

A “composition comprising a given polynucleotide sequence” or a “composition comprising a given amino acid sequence,” as these terms are used herein, refer broadly to any composition containing the given polynucleotide or amino acid sequence. The composition may comprise a dry formulation, an aqueous solution, or a sterile composition. Compositions comprising polynucleotide sequences encoding UCEH or fragments of UCEH may be employed as hybridization probes. The probes may be stored in freeze-dried form and may be associated with a stabilizing agent such as a carbohydrate. In hybridizations, the probe may be deployed in an aqueous solution containing salts, e.g., NaCl, detergents, e.g.,sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and other components, e.g., Denhardt's solution, dry milk, salmon sperm DNA, etc.

“Consensus sequence,” as used herein, refers to a nucleic acid sequence which has been resequenced to resolve uncalled bases, extended using XL-PCR (Perkin Elmer, Norwalk, Conn.) in the 5′ and/or the 3′ direction, and resequenced, or which has been assembled from the overlapping sequences of more than one Incyte Clone using a computer program for fragment assembly, such as the GELVIEW Fragment Assembly system (GCG, Madison, Wis.). Some sequences have been both extended and assembled to produce the consensus sequence.

As used herein, the term “correlates with expression of a polynucleotide” indicates that the detection of the presence of nucleic acids, the same or related to a nucleic acid sequence encoding UCEH, by Northern analysis is indicative of the presence of nucleic acids encoding UCEH in a sample, and thereby correlates with expression of the transcript from the polynucleotide encoding UCEH.

A “deletion,” as the term is used herein, refers to a change in the amino acid or nucleotide sequence that results in the absence of one or more amino acid residues or nucleotides.

The term “derivative,” as used herein, refers to the chemical modification of a polypeptide sequence, or a polynucleotide sequence. Chemical modifications of a polynucleotide sequence can include, for example, replacement of hydrogen by an alkyl, acyl, or amino group. A derivative polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide which retains at least one biological or immunological function of the natural molecule. A derivative polypeptide is one modified by glycosylation, pegylation, or any similar process that retains at least one biological or immunological function of the polypeptide from which it was derived.

The term “similarity,” as used herein, refers to a degree of complementarity. There may be partial similarity or complete similarity. The word “identity” may substitute for the word “similarity.” A partially complementary sequence that at least partially inhibits an identical sequence from hybridizing to a target nucleic acid is referred to as “substantially similar.” The inhibition of hybridization of the completely complementary sequence to the target sequence may be examined using a hybridization assay (Southern or Northern blot, solution hybridization, and the like) under conditions of reduced stringency. A substantially similar sequence or hybridization probe will compete for and inhibit the binding of a completely similar (identical) sequence to the target sequence under conditions of reduced stringency. This is not to say that conditions of reduced stringency are such that non-specific binding is permitted, as reduced stringency conditions require that the binding of two sequences to one another be a specific (i.e., a selective) interaction. The absence of non-specific binding may be tested by the use of a second target sequence which lacks even a partial degree of complementarity (e.g., less than about 30% similarity or identity). In the absence of non-specific binding, the substantially similar sequence or probe will not hybridize to the second non-complementary target sequence.

The phrases “percent identity” or “% identity” refer to the percentage of sequence similarity found in a comparison of two or more amino acid or nucleic acid sequences. Percent identity can be determined electronically, e.g., by using the MEGALIGN program (DNASTAR, Inc., Madison Wis.). The MEGALIGN program can create alignments between two or more sequences according to different methods, e.g., the clustal method. (See, e.g., Higgins, D. G. and P. M. Sharp (1988) Gene 73: 237-244.) The clustal algorithm groups sequences into clusters by examining the distances between all pairs. The clusters are aligned pairwise and then in groups. The percentage similarity between two amino acid sequences, e.g., sequence A and sequence B, is calculated by dividing the length of sequence A, minus the number of gap residues in sequence A, minus the number of gap residues in sequence B, into the sum of the residue matches between sequence A and sequence B, times one hundred. Gaps of low or of no similarity between the two amino acid sequences are not included in determining percentage similarity. Percent identity between nucleic acid sequences can also be counted or calculated by other methods known in the art, e.g., the Jotun Hein method. (See, e.g., Hein, J. (1990) Methods Enzymol. 183: 626-645.) Identity between sequences can also be determined by other methods known in the art, e.g., by varying hybridization conditions.

“Human artificial chromosomes” (HACs), as described herein, are linear microchromosomes which may contain DNA sequences of about 6 kb to 10 Mb in size, and which contain all of the elements required for stable mitotic chromosome segregation and maintenance. (See, e.g., Harrington, J. J. et al. (1997) Nat. Genet. 15: 345-355.)

The term “humanized antibody,” as used herein, refers to antibody molecules in which the amino acid sequence in the non-antigen binding regions has been altered so that the antibody more closely resembles a human antibody, and still retains its original binding ability.

“Hybridization,” as the term is used herein, refers to any process by which a strand of nucleic acid binds with a complementary strand through base pairing.

As used herein, the term “hybridization complex” refers to a complex formed between two nucleic acid sequences by virtue of the formation of hydrogen bonds between complementary bases. A hybridization complex may be formed in solution (e.g., C₀t or R₀t analysis) or formed between one nucleic acid sequence present in solution and another nucleic acid sequence immobilized on a solid support (e.g., paper, membranes, filters, chips, pins or glass slides, or any other appropriate substrate to which cells or their nucleic acids have been fixed).

The words “insertion” or “addition,” as used herein, refer to changes in an amino acid or nucleotide sequence resulting in the addition of one or more amino acid residues or nucleotides, respectively, to the sequence found in the naturally occurring molecule.

“Immune response” can refer to conditions associated with inflammation, trauma, immune disorders, or infectious or genetic disease, etc. These conditions can be characterized by expression of various factors, e.g., cytokines, chemokines, and other signaling molecules, which may affect cellular and systemic defense systems.

The term “microarray,” as used herein, refers to an arrangement of distinct polynucleotides arrayed on a substrate, e.g., paper, nylon or any other type of membrane, filter, chip, glass slide, or any other suitable solid support.

The terms “element” or “array element” as used herein in a microarray context, refer to hybridizable polynucleotides arranged on the surface of a substrate.

The term “modulate,” as it appears herein, refers to a change in the activity of UCEH. For example, modulation may cause an increase or a decrease in protein activity, binding characteristics, or any other biological, functional, or immunological properties of UCEH.

The phrases “nucleic acid” or “nucleic acid sequence,” as used herein, refer to a nucleotide, oligonucleotide, polynucleotide, or any fragment thereof. These phrases also refer to DNA or RNA of genomic or synthetic origin which may be single-stranded or double-stranded and may represent the sense or the antisense strand, to peptide nucleic acid (PNA), or to any DNA-like or RNA-like material. In this context, “fragments” refers to those nucleic acid sequences which, when translated, would produce polypeptides retaining some functional characteristic, e.g., antigenicity, or structural domain characteristic, e.g., ATP-binding site, of the full-length polypeptide.

The terms “operably associated” or “operably linked,” as used herein, refer to functionally related nucleic acid sequences. A promoter is operably associated or operably linked with a coding sequence if the promoter controls the translation of the encoded polypeptide. While operably associated or operably linked nucleic acid sequences can be contiguous and in the same reading frame, certain genetic elements, e.g., repressor genes, are not contiguously linked to the sequence encoding the polypeptide but still bind to operator sequences that control expression of the polypeptide.

The term “oligonucleotide,” as used herein, refers to a nucleic acid sequence of at least about 6 nucleotides to 60 nucleotides, preferably about 15 to 30 nucleotides, and most preferably about 20 to 25 nucleotides, which can be used in PCR amplification or in a hybridization assay or microarray. As used herein, the term “oligonucleotide” is substantially equivalent to the terms “amplimer” “primer,” “oligomer,” and “probe,” as these terms are commonly defined in the art.

“Peptide nucleic acid” (PNA), as used herein, refers to an antisense molecule or anti-gene agent which comprises an oligonucleotide of at least about 5 nucleotides in length linked to a peptide backbone of amino acid residues ending in lysine. The terminal lysine confers solubility to the composition. PNAs preferentially bind complementary single stranded DNA or RNA and stop transcript elongation, and may be pegylated to extend their lifespan in the cell. (See, e.g., Nielsen, P.E. et al. (1993) Anticancer Drug Des. 8: 53-63.)

The term “sample,” as used herein, is used in its broadest sense. A biological sample suspected of containing nucleic acids encoding UCEH, or fragments thereof, or UCEH itself, may comprise a bodily fluid; an extract from a cell, chromosome, organelle, or membrane isolated from a cell; a cell; genomic DNA, RNA, or cDNA, in solution or bound to a solid support; a tissue; a tissue print; etc.

As used herein, the terms “specific binding” or “specifically binding” refer to that interaction between a protein or peptide and an agonist, an antibody, or an antagonist. The interaction is dependent upon the presence of a particular structure of the protein, e.g., the antigenic determinant or epitope, recognized by the binding molecule. For example, if an antibody is specific for epitope “A,” the presence of a polypeptide containing the epitope A, or the presence of free unlabeled A, in a reaction containing free labeled A and the antibody will reduce the amount of labeled A that binds to the antibody.

As used herein, the term “stringent conditions” refers to conditions which permit hybridization between polynucleotides and the claimed polynucleotides. Stringent conditions can be defined by salt concentration, the concentration of organic solvent (e.g., formamide), temperature, and other conditions well known in the art. In particular, stringency can be increased by reducing the concentration of salt, increasing the concentration of formamide, or raising the hybridization temperature.

For example, stringent salt concentration will ordinarily be less than about 750 mM NaCl and 75 mM trisodium citrate, preferably less than about 500 mM NaCl and 50 mM trisodium citrate, and most preferably less than about 250 mM NaCl and 25 mM trisodium citrate. Low stringency hybridization can be obtained in the absence of organic solvent, e.g., formamide, while high stringency hybridization can be obtained in the presence of at least about 35% formamide, and most preferably at least about 50% formamide. Stringent temperature conditions will ordinarily include temperatures of at least about 30° C., more preferably of at least about 37° C., and most preferably of at least about 42° C. Varying additional parameters, such as hybridization time, the concentration of detergent, e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and the inclusion or exclusion of carrier DNA, are well known to those skilled in the art. Various levels of stringency are accomplished by combining these various conditions as needed. In a preferred embodiment, hybridization will occur at 30° C. in 750 mM NaCl, 75 mM trisodium citrate, and 1% SDS. In a more preferred embodiment, hybridization will occur at 37° C. in 500 mM NaCl, 50 mM trisodium citrate, 1% SDS, 35% formamide, and 100 μg/ml denatured salmon sperm DNA (ssDNA). In a most preferred embodiment, hybridization will occur at 42° C. in 250 mM NaCl, 25 mM trisodium citrate, 1% SDS, 50% formamide, and 200 μg/ml ssDNA. Useful variations on these conditions will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The washing steps which follow hybridization can also vary in stringency. Wash stringency conditions can be defined by salt concentration and by temperature. As above, wash stringency can be increased by decreasing salt concentration or by increasing temperature. For example, stringent salt concentration for the wash steps will preferably be less than about 30 mM NaCl and 3 mM trisodium citrate, and most preferably less than about 15 mM NaCl and 1.5 mM trisodium citrate. Stringent temperature conditions for the wash steps will ordinarily include temperature of at least about 25° C., more preferably of at least about 42° C., and most preferably of at least about 68° C. In a preferred embodiment, wash steps will occur at 25° C. in 30 mM NaCl, 3 mM trisodium citrate, and 0.1% SDS. In a more preferred embodiment, wash steps will occur at 42° C. in 15 mM NaCl, 1.5 mM trisodium citrate, and 0.1% SDS. In a most preferred embodiment, wash steps will occur at 68° C. in 15 mM NaCl, 1.5 mM trisodium citrate, and 0.1% SDS. Additional variations on these conditions will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The term “substantially purified,” as used herein, refers to nucleic acid or amino acid sequences that are removed from their natural environment and are isolated or separated, and are at least about 60% free, preferably about 75% free, and most preferably about 90% free from other components with which they are naturally associated.

A “substitution,” as used herein, refers to the replacement of one or more amino acids or nucleotides by different amino acids or nucleotides, respectively.

“Transformation,” as defined herein, describes a process by which exogenous DNA enters and changes a recipient cell. Transformation may occur under natural or artificial conditions according to various methods well known in the art, and may rely on any known method for the insertion of foreign nucleic acid sequences into a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell. The method for transformation is selected based on the type of host cell being transformed and may include, but is not limited to, viral infection, electroporation, heat shock, lipofection, and particle bombardment. The term “transformed” cells includes stably transformed cells in which the inserted DNA is capable of replication either as an autonomously replicating plasmid or as part of the host chromosome, as well as transiently transformed cells which express the inserted DNA or RNA for limited periods of time.

A “variant” of UCEH, as used herein, refers to an amino acid sequence that is altered by one or more amino acids. The variant may have “conservative” changes, wherein a substituted amino acid has similar structural or chemical properties (e.g., replacement of leucine with isoleucine). More rarely, a variant may have “nonconservative” changes (e.g., replacement of glycine with tryptophan). Analogous minor variations may also include amino acid deletions or insertions, or both. Guidance in determining which amino acid residues may be substituted, inserted, or deleted without abolishing biological or immunological activity may be found using computer programs well known in the art, for example, LASERGENE software.

The Invention

The invention is based on the discovery of new human ubquitin-conjugating enzyme homologs (UCEH), the polynucleotides encoding UCEH, and the use of these compositions for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer, autoimmune disorders, and neuronal disorders.

Nucleic acids encoding the UCEH-1 of the present invention were first identified in Incyte Clone 1728211 from the prostate tissue cDNA library (PROSNOT14) using a computer search, e.g., BLAST, for amino acid sequence alignments. A consensus sequence, SEQ ID NO:4, was derived from the following overlapping and/or extended nucleic acid sequences: Incyte Clones 1728211 (PROSNOT14), 2117351 (BRSTTUT02), 2849310 (BRSTTIUT13), and 515286 (MMLRIDTO1).

In one embodiment, the invention encompasses a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1. UCEH-1 is 250 amino acids in length and has seven potential casein kinase phosphorylation sites at residues S₇, T₁₆, T₃₄, S₁₈₃, S₂₀₆, and S₂₃. In addition, UCEH-1 has four potential protein kinase C phosphorylation sites at residues S₆₅, T₉₁, T₉₅, and S₁₂₅, and a potential tyrosine kinase phosphorylation site at residue Y_(b 41). PFAM analysis identifies UCEH-1 as an ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UQ_con), with the region from residue 1 through 149 receiving a score of 22 bits. BLOCKS analysis also identifies UCEH-1 as an ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (BL00183), with the region from residue 24 through 76 receiving a score of 1137 and a strength of 1512. BLAST analysis indicates that UCEH-1has chemical and structural similarity with Arabidopsis thaliana ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (GI 1707021). Northern analysis shows the expression of SEQ ID NO:4 in various libraries, at least 36% of which are immortalized or cancerous and at least 50% of which involve immune response. In addition, 36% of the libraries showing expression of UCEH-1 were from reproductive tissue, and 21% were from nervous tissue. Of particular note is the expression of UCEH-1in spinal cord and pituitary libraries. A fragment of SEQ ID NO:4 from about nucleotide 105 to about nucleotide 165 is useful, e.g., as a hybridization probe.

Nucleic acids encoding the UCEH-2 of the present invention were first identified in Incyte Clone 1803905 from the ileum tissue cDNA library (SINTNOT13) using a computer search, e.g., BLAST, for amino acid sequence alignments. A consensus sequence, SEQ ID NO:5, was derived from the following overlapping and/or extended nucleic acid sequences: Incyte Clones 1803905 (SINTNOT13), 1521572 (BLADTUT04), 1869910 (SKINBITO), 1901037 (BLADTUT06), and the shotgun sequence SAIA03806.

In one embodiment, the invention encompasses a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2. UCEH-2 is 282 amino acids in length and has an ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme active site signature sequence from W₈₂ through I₉₆. In addition, UCEH-2 has a potential N-glycosylation site at residue N₂₀₁, a potential glycosaminoglycan attachment site at S₂₇₃, five potential casein kinase II phosphorylation sites at residues S₁₉, T₃₁, T₅₁, T₁₇₂, and T₁₈₆, three potential protein kinase C phosphorylation sites at S9, T₇₄, and S₁₁₁, and two potential tyrosine kinase phosphorylation sites at Y₇₀ and Y_(b 161). PFAM analysis identifies UCEH-2 as an ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UQ_con) with the region from residue 5 through 167 receiving a score of 264 bits. BLOCKS analysis also identifies UCEH-2 as an ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (BL00183), with the region from residue 41 through 93 receiving a score of 1473 and a strength of 1512. BLAST analysis indicates that UCEH-2 has chemical and structural similarity with Oryctolagus cuniculus ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 (GI 1381181). Northern analysis shows the expression of SEQ ID NO:5 in various libraries, at least 47% of which are immortalized or cancerous and at least 29% of which involve immune response. In addition, 31% of the libraries showing expression of UCEH-2 were from reproductive tissue, and 15% were from gastrointestinal tissue. Of particular note is the expression of UCEH-2 in tumors of the colon and breast. A fragment of SEQ ID NO:5 from about nucleotide 480 to about nucleotide 540 is useful, e.g., as a hybridization probe.

Nucleic acids encoding the UCEH-3 of the present invention were first identified in Incyte Clone 2792472 from the colon tumor tissue cDNA library (COLNTUT16) using a computer search, e.g., BLAST, for amino acid sequence alignments. A consensus sequence, SEQ ID NO:2, was derived from the following overlapping and/or extended nucleic acid sequences: Incyte Clones 2792472 (COLNTUT16), 1575521 (LNODNOTO3), 1444341 (THURNOT03), 915177 (BRSTNOT04), 1504874 (BRAITUT07), 981955 (TONGTUT01), 2059855 (OVARNOT03), 568238 (MMLR3DT01), 1857985 (PROSNOT18), and 1558539 and 1534471 (SPLNNOT04).

In one embodiment, the invention encompasses a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3. UCEH-3 is 318 amino acids in length and has a potential amidation site at residue V₈₆. In addition, UCEH-3 has five potential N-glycosylation sites at residue N₁₉₀, N₂₀₂, N₂₃₁, N₂₄₇, and N₂₈₀, a potential cAMP-and cGMP-dependent protein kianse phosphorylation site at residue S₂₆₆, nine potential casein kinase II phosphorylation sites at residues S₅₁, T₁₂₁, T₁₃₃, S₁₈₄, S₁₉₂, T₁₉₅, S₁₉₇, S₂₀₆, and T₂₆₇, and six potential protein kinase C phosphorylation sites at T₄₄, S₁₀₇, S₁₈₄, S₁₉₂, S₂₅₁, and S₂₆₁. PFAM analysis identifies UCEH-3 as an ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UQ_con) with the region from residue 6 through 151 receiving a score of 71 bits. BLOCKS analysis also identifies UCEH-3 as an ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (BL00183), with the region from residue 41 through 93 receiving a score of 1304 and a strength of 1512. BLAST analysis indicates that UCEH-3 has chemical and structural similarity with Caenorhabditis elegans ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (GI 746510). Northern analysis shows the expression of SEQ ID NO:6 in various libraries, at least 59% of which are immortalized or cancerous and at least 46% of which involve immune response. In addition, 32% of the libraries showing expression of UCEH-3 were from hematopoietic/immune tissue, 19% were from gastrointestinal tissue, and 19% were from reproductive tissue. Of particular note is the expression of UCEH-3 in tumors of the colon and brain. A fragment of SEQ ID NO:6 from about nucleotide 32 to about nucleotide 92 is useful, e.g., as a hybridization probe.

The invention also encompasses UCEH variants. A preferred UCEH variant is one which has at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 90%, and most preferably at least about 95% amino acid sequence identity to the UCEH amino acid sequence, and which contains at least one functional or structural characteristic of UCEH.

The invention also encompasses polynucleotides which encode UCEH. In a particular embodiment, the invention encompasses a polynucleotide sequence comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, or SEQ ID NO:6, which encode UCEH.

A particular aspect of the invention encompasses a variant of a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, and SEQ ID NO:6, which has at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 90%, and most preferably at least about 95% polynucleotide sequence identity to the selected polynucleotide. Any one of the polynucleotide variants described above can encode an amino acid sequence which contains at least one functional or structural characteristic of UCEH.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that as a result of the degeneracy of the genetic code, a multitude of polynucleotide sequences encoding UCEH, some bearing minimal similarity to the polynucleotide sequences of any known and naturally occurring gene, may be produced. Thus, the invention contemplates each and every possible variation of polynucleotide sequence that could be made by selecting combinations based on possible codon choices. These combinations are made in accordance with the standard triplet genetic code as applied to the polynucleotide sequence of naturally occurring UCEH, and all such variations are to be considered as being specifically disclosed.

Although nucleotide sequences which encode UCEH and its variants are preferably capable of hybridizing to the nucleotide sequence of the naturally occurring UCEH under appropriately selected conditions of stringency, it may be advantageous to produce nucleotide sequences encoding UCEH or its derivatives possessing a substantially different codon usage, e.g., inclusion of non-naturally occurring codons. Codons may be selected to increase the rate at which expression of the peptide occurs in a particular prokaryotic or eukaryotic host in accordance with the frequency with which particular codons are utilized by the host. Other reasons for substantially altering the nucleotide sequence encoding UCEH and its derivatives without altering the encoded amino acid sequences include the production of RNA transcripts having more desirable properties, such as a greater half-life, than transcripts produced from the naturally occurring sequence.

The invention also encompasses production of DNA sequences which encode UCEH and UCEH derivatives, or fragments thereof, entirely by synthetic chemistry. After production, the synthetic sequence may be inserted into any of the many available expression vectors and cell systems using reagents well known in the art. Moreover, synthetic chemistry may be used to introduce mutations into a sequence encoding UCEH or any fragment thereof.

Also encompassed by the invention are polynucleotide sequences that are capable of hybridizing to the claimed polynucleotide sequences, and, in particular, to those shown in SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, a fragment of SEQ ID NO:4 a fragment of SEQ ID NO:5, or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:6, under various conditions of stringency. (See, e.g., Wahl, G. M. and S. L. Berger (1987) Methods Enzymol. 152:399-407; Kimmel, A. R. (1987) Methods Enzymol. 152:507-511.)

Methods for DNA sequencing are well known and generally available in the art and may be used to practice any of the embodiments of the invention. The methods may employ such enzymes as the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I, SEQUENASE DNA polymerase (US Biochemical Corp., Cleveland, Ohio), Taq polymerase (Perkin Elmer), thermostable T7 polymerase (Amersham, Chicago, Ill.), or combinations of polymerases and proofreading exonucleases such as those found in the ELONGASE Amplification System (GIBCO BRL, Gaithersburg, Md.). Preferably, the process is automated with machines such as the MICROLAB 2200 liquid transfer system (Hamilton, Reno, Nev.), Peltier thermal cycler (PTC200; MJ Research, Watertown, Mass.) and the ABI CATALYST and 373 and 377 DNA sequencers (Perkin Elmer).

The nucleic acid sequences encoding UCEH may be extended utilizing a partial nucleotide sequence and employing various PCR-based methods known in the art to detect upstream sequences, such as promoters and regulatory elements. For example, one method which may be employed, restriction-site PCR, uses universal and nested primers to amplify unknown sequence from genomic DNA within a cloning vector. (See, e.g., Sarkar, G. (1993) PCR Methods Applic. 2:318-322.) Another method, inverse PCR, uses primers that extend in divergent directions to amplify unknown sequence from a circularized template. The template is derived from restriction fragments comprising a known genomic locus and surrounding sequences. (See, e.g., Triglia, T. et al. (1988) Nucleic Acids Res. 16:8186.) A third method, capture PCR, involves PCR amplification of DNA fragments adjacent to known sequences in human and yeast artificial chromosome DNA. (See, e.g., Lagerstrom, M. et al. (1991) PCR Methods Applic. 1:111-119.) In this method, multiple restriction enzyme digestions and ligations may be used to insert an engineered double-stranded sequence into a region of unknown sequence before performing PCR. Other methods which may be used to retrieve unknown sequences are known in the art. (See, e.g., Parker, J. D. et al. (1991) Nucleic Acids Res. 19:3055-306). Additionally, one may use PCR, nested primers, and PromoterFinder libraries to walk genomic DNA (Clontech, Palo Alto, Calif.). This procedure avoids the need to screen libraries and is useful in finding intron/exon junctions. For all PCR-based methods, primers may be designed using commercially available software, such as OLIGO 4.06 primer analysis software (National Biosciences Inc., Plymouth, Minn.) or another appropriate program, to be about 22 to 30 nucleotides in length, to have a GC content of about 50% or more, and to anneal to the template at temperatures of about 68° C. to 72° C.

When screening for full-length cDNAs, it is preferable to use libraries that have been size-selected to include larger cDNAs. In addition, random-primed libraries, which often include sequences containing the 5′ regions of genes, are preferable for situations in which an oligo d(T) library does not yield a full-length cDNA. Genomic libraries may be useful for extension of sequence into 5′ non-transcribed regulatory regions.

Capillary electrophoresis systems which are commercially available may be used to analyze the size or confirm the nucleotide sequence of sequencing or PCR products. In particular, capillary sequencing may employ flowable polymers for electrophoretic separation, four different nucleotide-specific, laser-stimulated fluorescent dyes, and a charge coupled device camera for detection of the emitted wavelengths. Output/light intensity may be converted to electrical signal using appropriate software (e.g., GENOTYPER and SEQUENCE NAVIGATOR, Perkin Elmer), and the entire process from loading of samples to computer analysis and electronic data display may be computer controlled. Capillary electrophoresis is especially preferable for sequencing small DNA fragments which may be present in limited amounts in a particular sample.

In another embodiment of the invention, polynucleotide sequences or fragments thereof which encode UCEH may be cloned in recombinant DNA molecules that direct expression of UCEH, or fragments or functional equivalents thereof, in appropriate host cells. Due to the inherent degeneracy of the genetic code, other DNA sequences which encode substantially the same or a functionally equivalent amino acid sequence may be produced and used to express UCEH.

The nucleotide sequences of the present invention can be engineered using methods generally known in the art in order to alter UCEH-encoding sequences for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to, modification of the cloning, processing, and/or expression of the gene product. DNA shuffling by random fragmentation and PCR reassembly of gene fragments and synthetic oligonucleotides may be used to engineer the nucleotide sequences. For example, oligonucleotide-mediated site-directed mutagenesis may be used to introduce mutations that create new restriction sites, alter glycosylation patterns, change codon preference, produce splice variants, and so forth.

In another embodiment, sequences encoding UCEH may be synthesized, in whole or in part, using chemical methods well known in the art. (See, e.g., Caruthers, M. H. et al. (1980) Nucl. Acids Symp. Ser. 7: 215-223, and Horn, T. et al. (1980) Nucl. Acids Symp. Ser. 7:225-232.) Alternatively, UCEH itself or a fragment thereof may be synthesized using chemical methods. For example, peptide synthesis can be performed using various solid-phase techniques. (See, e.g., Roberge, J. Y. et al. (1995) Science 269:202-204.) Automated synthesis may be achieved using the ABI 431A peptide synthesizer (Perkin Elmer). Additionally, the amino acid sequence of UCEH, or any part thereof, may be altered during direct synthesis and/or combined with sequences from other proteins, or any part thereof, to produce a variant polypeptide.

The peptide may be substantially purified by preparative high performance liquid chromatography. (See, e.g, Chiez, R. M. and F. Z. Regnier (1990) Methods Enzymol. 182:392-421.) The composition of the synthetic peptides may be confirmed by amino acid analysis or by sequencing. (See, e.g., Creighton, T. (1984) Proteins, Structures and Molecular Properties, WH Freeman and Co., New York, N.Y.)

In order to express a biologically active UCEH, the nucleotide sequences encoding UCEH or derivatives thereof may be inserted into an appropriate expression vector, i.e., a vector which contains the necessary elements for transcriptional and translational control of the inserted coding sequence in a suitable host. These elements include regulatory sequences, such as enhancers, constitutive and inducible promoters, and 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions in the vector and in polynucleotide sequences encoding UCEH. Such elements may vary in their strength and specificity. Specific initiation signals may also be used to achieve more efficient translation of sequences encoding UCEH. Such signals include the ATG initiation codon and adjacent sequences, e.g. the Kozak sequence. In cases where sequences encoding UCEH and its initiation codon and upstream regulatory sequences are inserted into the appropriate expression vector, no additional transcriptional or translational control signals may be needed. However, in cases where only coding sequence, or a fragment thereof, is inserted, exogenous translational control signals including an in-frame ATG initiation codon should be provided by the vector. Exogenous translational elements and initiation codons may be of various origins, both natural and synthetic. The efficiency of expression may be enhanced by the inclusion of enhancers appropriate for the particular host cell system used. (See, e.g., Scharf, D. et al. (1994) Results Probl. Cell Differ. 20:125-162.)

Methods which are well known to those skilled in the art may be used to construct expression vectors containing sequences encoding UCEH and appropriate transcriptional and translational control elements. These methods include in vitro recombinant DNA techniques, synthetic techniques, and in vivo genetic recombination. (See, e.g., Sambrook, J. et al. (1989) Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Press, Plainview, N.Y., ch. 4, 8, and 16-17; and Ausubel, F. M. et al. (1995, and periodic supplements) Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, New York, N.Y., ch. 9, 13, and 16.)

A variety of expression vector/host systems may be utilized to contain and express sequences encoding UCEH. These include, but are not limited to, microorganisms such as bacteria transformed with recombinant bacteriophage, plasmid, or cosmid DNA expression vectors; yeast transformed with yeast expression vectors; insect cell systems infected with viral expression vectors (e.g., baculovirus); plant cell systems transformed with viral expression vectors (e.g., cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) or tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)) or with bacterial expression vectors (e.g., Ti or pBR322 plasmids); or animal cell systems. The invention is not limited by the host cell employed.

In bacterial systems, a number of cloning and expression vectors may be selected depending upon the use intended for polynucleotide sequences encoding UCEH. For example, routine cloning, subcloning, and propagation of polynucleotide sequences encoding UCEH can be achieved using a multifunctional E. coli vector such as BLUESCRIPT (Stratagene) or PSPORT1 plasmid (GIBCO BRL). Ligation of sequences encoding UCEH into the vector's multiple cloning site disrupts the lacZ gene, allowing a calorimetric screening procedure for identification of transformed bacteria containing recombinant molecules. In addition, these vectors may be useful for in vitro transcription, dideoxy sequencing, single strand rescue with helper phage, and creation of nested deletions in the cloned sequence. (See, e.g., Van Heeke, G. and S. M. Schuster (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264:5503-5509.) When large quantities of UCEH are needed, e.g. for the production of antibodies, vectors which direct high level expression of UCEH may be used. For example, vectors containing the strong, inducible T5 or T7 bacteriophage promoter may be used.

Yeast expression systems may be used for production of UCEH. A number of vectors containing constitutive or inducible promoters, such as alpha factor, alcohol oxidase, and PGH, may be used in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Pichia pastoris. In addition, such vectors direct either the secretion or intracellular retention of expressed proteins and enable integration of foreign sequences into the host genome for stable propagation. (See, e.g., Ausubel, supra; and Grant et al. (1987) Methods Enzymol. 153:516-54; Scorer, C. A. et al. (1994) Bio/Technology 12:181-184.)

Plant systems may also be used for expression of UCEH. Transcription of sequences encoding UCEH may be driven viral promoters, e.g., the 35S and 19S promoters of CaMV used alone or in combination with the omega leader sequence from TMV. (Takamatsu, N. (1987) EMBO J. 6:307-311.) Alternatively, plant promoters such as the small subunit of RUBISCO or heat shock promoters may be used. (See, e.g., Coruzzi, G. et al. (1984) EMBO J. 3:1671-1680; Broglie, R. et al. (1984) Science 224:838-843; and Winter, J. et al. (1991) Results Probl. Cell Differ. 17:85-105.) These constructs can be introduced into plant cells by direct DNA transformation or pathogen-mediated transfection. (See, e.g., Hobbs, S. or Murry, L. E. in McGraw Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology (1992) McGraw Hill, New York, N.Y.; pp. 191-196.)

In mammalian cells, a number of viral-based expression systems may be utilized. In cases where an adenovirus is used as an expression vector, sequences encoding UCEH may be ligated into an adenovirus transcription/translation complex consisting of the late promoter and tripartite leader sequence. Insertion in a non-essential E1 or E3 region of the viral genome may be used to obtain infective virus which expresses UCEH in host cells. (See, e.g., Logan, J. and T. Shenk (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 81:3655-3659.) In addition, transcription enhancers, such as the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) enhancer, may be used to increase expression in mammalian host cells. SV40 or EBV-based vectors may also be used for high-level protein expression.

Human artificial chromosomes (HACs) may also be employed to deliver larger fragments of DNA than can be contained in and expressed from a plasmid. HACs of about 6 kb to 10 Mb are constructed and delivered via conventional delivery methods (liposomes, polycationic amino polymers, or vesicles) for therapeutic purposes.

For long term production of recombinant proteins in mammalian systems, stable expression of UCEH in cell lines is preferred. For example, sequences encoding UCEH can be transformed into cell lines using expression vectors which may contain viral origins of replication and/or endogenous expression elements and a selectable marker gene on the same or on a separate vector. Following the introduction of the vector, cells may be allowed to grow for about 1 to 2 days in enriched media before being switched to selective media. The purpose of the selectable marker is to confer resistance to a selective agent, and its presence allows growth and recovery of cells which successfully express the introduced sequences. Resistant clones of stably transformed cells may be propagated using tissue culture techniques appropriate to the cell type.

Any number of selection systems may be used to recover transformed cell lines. These include, but are not limited to, the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase genes, for use in tk or apr cells, respectively. (See, e.g., Wigler, M. et al. (1977) Cell 11:223-232; and Lowy, I. et al. (1980) Cell 22:817-823.) Also, antimetabolite, antibiotic, or herbicide resistance can be used as the basis for selection. For example, dhfr confers resistance to methotrexate; neo confers resistance to the aminoglycosides neomycin and G-418; and als or pat confer resistance to chlorsulfuron and phosphinotricin acetyltransferase, respectively. (See, e.g., Wigler, M. et al. (1980) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 77:3567-3570; Colbere-Garapin, F. et al (1981) J. Mol. Biol. 150:1-14; and Murry, supra.) Additional selectable genes have been described, e.g., trpB and hisD, which alter cellular requirements for metabolites. (See, e.g., Hartman, S. C. and R. C. Mulligan (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 85:8047-8051.) Visible markers, e.g., anthocyanins, green fluorescent proteins (GFP) (Clontech, Palo Alto, Calif.), β glucuronidase and its substrate β-D-glucuronoside, or luciferase and its substrate luciferin may be used. These markers can be used not only to identify transformants, but also to quantify the amount of transient or stable protein expression attributable to a specific vector system. (See, e.g., Rhodes, C. A. et al. (1995) Methods Mol. Biol. 55:121-131.)

Although the presence/absence of marker gene expression suggests that the gene of interest is also present, the presence and expression of the gene may need to be confirmed. For example, if the sequence encoding UCEH is inserted within a marker gene sequence, transformed cells containing sequences encoding UCEH can be identified by the absence of marker gene function. Alternatively, a marker gene can be placed in tandem with a sequence encoding UCEH under the control of a single promoter. Expression of the marker gene in response to induction or selection usually indicates expression of the tandem gene as well.

In general, host cells that contain the nucleic acid sequence encoding UCEH and that express UCEH may be identified by a variety of procedures known to those of skill in the art. These procedures include, but are not limited to, DNA-DNA or DNA-RNA hybridizations, PCR amplification, and protein bioassay or immunoassay techniques which include membrane, solution, or chip based technologies for the detection and/or quantification of nucleic acid or protein sequences.

Immunological methods for detecting and measuring the expression of UCEH using either specific polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies are known in the art. Examples of such techniques include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), radioimmunoassays (RIAs), and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). A two-site, monoclonal-based immunoassay utilizing monoclonal antibodies reactive to two non-interfering epitopes on UCEH is preferred, but a competitive binding assay may be employed. These and other assays are well known in the art. (See, e.g., Hampton, R. et al. (1990) Serological Methods, a Laboratory Manual, APS Press, St Paul, Minn., Section IV; Coligan, J. E. et al. (1997 and periodic supplements) Current Protocols in Immunology, Greene Pub. Associates and Wiley-Interscience, New York, N.Y.; and Maddox, D. E. et al. (1983) J. Exp. Med. 158:1211-1216).

A wide variety of labels and conjugation techniques are known by those skilled in the art and may be used in various nucleic acid and amino acid assays. Means for producing labeled hybridization or PCR probes for detecting sequences related to polynucleotides encoding UCEH include oligolabeling, nick translation, end-labeling, or PCR amplification using a labeled nucleotide. Alternatively, the sequences encoding UCEH, or any fragments thereof, may be cloned into a vector for the production of an mRNA probe. Such vectors are known in the art, are commercially available, and may be used to synthesize RNA probes in vitro by addition of an appropriate RNA polymerase such as T7, T3, or SP6 and labeled nucleotides. These procedures may be conducted using a variety of commercially available kits, such as those provided by Pharmacia & Upjohn (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Promega (Madison, Wisc.), and U.S. Biochemical Corp. (Cleveland, Ohio). Suitable reporter molecules or labels which may be used for ease of detection include radionuclides, enzymes, fluorescent, chemiluminescent, or chromogenic agents, as well as substrates, cofactors, inhibitors, magnetic particles, and the like.

Host cells transformed with nucleotide sequences encoding UCEH may be cultured under conditions suitable for the expression and recovery of the protein from cell culture. The protein produced by a transformed cell may be secreted or retained intracellularly depending on the sequence and/or the vector used. As will be understood by those of skill in the art, expression vectors containing polynucleotides which encode UCEH may be designed to contain signal sequences which direct secretion of UCEH through a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell membrane.

In addition, a host cell strain may be chosen for its ability to modulate expression of the inserted sequences or to process the expressed protein in the desired fashion. Such modifications of the polypeptide include, but are not limited to, acetylation, carboxylation, glycosylation, phosphorylation, lipidation, and acylation. Post-translational processing which cleaves a “prepro” form of the protein may also be used to specify protein targeting, folding, and/or activity. Different host cells which have specific cellular machinery and characteristic mechanisms for post-translational activities (e.g., CHO, HeLa, MDCK, HEK293, and WI38), are available from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, Va.) and may be chosen to ensure the correct modification and processing of the foreign protein.

In another embodiment of the invention, natural, modified, or recombinant nucleic acid sequences encoding UCEH may be ligated to a heterologous sequence resulting in translation of a fusion protein in any of the aforementioned host systems. For example, a chimeric UCEH protein containing a heterologous moiety that can be recognized by a commercially available antibody may facilitate the screening of peptide libraries for inhibitors of UCEH activity. Heterologous protein and peptide moieties may also facilitate purification of fusion proteins using commercially available affinity matrices. Such moieties include, but are not limited to, glutathione S-transferase (GST), maltose binding protein (MBP), thioredoxin (Trx), calmodulin binding peptide (CBP), 6-His, FLAG, c-myc, and hemagglutinin (HA). GST, MBP, Trx, CBP, and 6-His enable purification of their cognate fusion proteins on immobilized glutathione, maltose, phenylarsine oxide, calmodulin, and metal-chelate resins, respectively. FLAG, c-myc, and hemagglutinin (HA) enable immunoaffinity purification of fusion proteins using commercially available monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that specifically recognize these epitope tags. A fusion protein may also be engineered to contain a proteolytic cleavage site located between the UCEH encoding sequence and the heterologous protein sequence, so that UCEH may be cleaved away from the heterologous moiety following purification. Methods for fusion protein expression and purification are discussed in Ausubel, F. M. et al. (1995 and periodic supplements) Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, New York, N.Y., ch 10. A variety of commercially available kits may also be used to facilitate expression and purification of fusion proteins.

In a further embodiment of the invention, synthesis of radiolabeled UCEH may be achieved in vitro using the TNT rabbit reticulocyte lysate or wheat germ extract systems (Promega, Madison, Wisc.). These systems couple transcription and translation of protein-coding sequences operably associated with the T7, T3, or SP6 promoters. Translation takes place in the presence of a radiolabeled amino acid precursor, preferably ³⁵S-methionine.

Fragments of UCEH may be produced not only by recombinant production, but also by direct peptide synthesis using solid-phase techniques. (See, e.g., Creighton, supra pp. 55-60.) Protein synthesis may be performed by manual techniques or by automation. Automated synthesis may be achieved, for example, using an Applied Biosystems 431A peptide synthesizer (Perkin Elmer). Various fragments of UCEH may be synthesized separately and then combined to produce the full length molecule.

Therapeutics

Chemical and structural similarity exists among UCEH-1, UCEH-2, UCEH-3, and ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes from Arabidopsis thaliana (GI 1707021), Oryctolagus cuniculus (GI 1381181), and Caenorhabditis elegans (GI 746510), respectively. PFAM and BLOCKS analysis identifies UCEH-1, UCEH-2, and UCEH-3 as ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme homologs. In addition, UCEH-1, UCEH-2, and UCEH-3 are expressed in cancerous and inflamed tissue, and are enriched in libraries from nervous tissue. Therefore, UCEH appears to play a role in cancer, autoimmune disorders, and neuronal disorders.

Therefore, in one embodiment, an antagonist of UCEH may be administered to a subject to treat or prevent a cancer. Such a cancer may include, but is not limited to, adenocarcinoma, leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma, myeloma, sarcoma, teratocarcinoma, and, in particular, cancers of the adrenal gland, bladder, bone, bone marrow, brain, breast, cervix, gall bladder, ganglia, gastrointestinal tract, heart, kidney, liver, lung, muscle, ovary, pancreas, parathyroid, penis, prostate, salivary glands, skin, spleen, testis, thymus, thyroid, and uterus. In one aspect, an antibody which specifically binds UCEH may be used directly as an antagonist or indirectly as a targeting or delivery mechanism for bringing a pharmaceutical agent to cells or tissue which express UCEH.

In an additional embodiment, a vector expressing the complement of the polynucleotide encoding UCEH may be administered to a subject to treat or prevent a cancer including, but not limited to, those described above.

In another embodiment, an antagonist of UCEH may be administered to a subject to treat or prevent an autoimmune disorder. Such a disorder may include, but is not limited to, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Addison's disease, adult respiratory distress syndrome, allergies, ankylosing spondylitis, amyloidosis, anemia, asthma, atherosclerosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thyroiditis, bronchitis, cholecystitis, contact dermatitis, Crohn's disease, atopic dermatitis, dermatomyositis, diabetes mellitus, emphysema, episodic lymphopenia with lymphocytotoxins, erythroblastosis fetalis, erythema nodosum, atrophic gastritis, glomerulonephritis, Goodpasture's syndrome, gout, Graves'disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hypereosinophilia, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, myocardial or pericardial inflammation, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, pancreatitis, polymyositis, psoriasis, Reiter's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic anaphylaxis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, thrombocytopenic purpura, ulcerative colitis, uveitis, Werner syndrome, complications of cancer, hemodialysis, and extracorporeal circulation, viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, protozoal, and helminthic infections, and trauma. In one aspect, an antibody which specifically binds UCEH may be used directly as an antagonist or indirectly as a targeting or delivery mechanism for bringing a pharmaceutical agent to cells or tissue which express UCEH.

In an additional embodiment, a vector expressing the complement of the polynucleotide encoding UCEH may be administered to a subject to treat or prevent an autoimmune disorder including, but not limited to, those described above.

In yet another embodiment, an antagonist of UCEH may be administered to a subject to treat or prevent a neuronal disorder. Such a disorder may include, but is not limited to, akathesia, Alzheimer's disease, amnesia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, bipolar disorder, catatonia, cerebral neoplasms, dementia, depression, diabetic neuropathy, Down's syndrome, tardive dyskinesia, dystonias, epilepsy, Huntington's disease, peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, neurofibromatosis, Parkinson's disease, paranoid psychoses, postherpetic neuralgia, schizophrenia, and Tourette's disorder. In one aspect, an antibody which specifically binds UCEH may be used directly as an antagonist or indirectly as a targeting or delivery mechanism for bringing a pharmaceutical agent to cells or tissue which express UCEH.

In an additional embodiment, a vector expressing the complement of the polynucleotide encoding UCEH may be administered to a subject to treat or prevent a neuronal disorder including, but not limited to, those described above.

In other embodiments, any of the proteins, antagonists, antibodies, agonists, complementary sequences, or vectors of the invention may be administered in combination with other appropriate therapeutic agents. Selection of the appropriate agents for use in combination therapy may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art, according to conventional pharmaceutical principles. The combination of therapeutic agents may act synergistically to effect the treatment or prevention of the various disorders described above. Using this approach, one may be able to achieve therapeutic efficacy with lower dosages of each agent, thus reducing the potential for adverse side effects.

An antagonist of UCEH may be produced using methods which are generally known in the art. In particular, purified UCEH may be used to produce antibodies or to screen libraries of pharmaceutical agents to identify those which specifically bind UCEH. Antibodies to UCEH may also be generated using methods that are well known in the art. Such antibodies may include, but are not limited to, polyclonal, monoclonal, chimeric, and single chain antibodies, Fab fragments, and fragments produced by a Fab expression library. Neutralizing antibodies (i.e., those which inhibit dimer formation) are especially preferred for therapeutic use.

For the production of antibodies, various hosts including goats, rabbits, rats, mice, humans, and others may be immunized by injection with UCEH or with any fragment or oligopeptide thereof which has immunogenic properties. Depending on the host species, various adjuvants may be used to increase immunological response. Such adjuvants include, but are not limited to, Freund's, mineral gels such as aluminum hydroxide, and surface active substances such as lysolecithin, pluronic polyols, polyanions, peptides, oil emulsions, KLH, and dinitrophenol. Among adjuvants used in humans, BCG (bacilli Calmette-Guerin) and Corynebacterium parvum are especially preferable.

It is preferred that the oligopeptides, peptides, or fragments used to induce antibodies to UCEH have an amino acid sequence consisting of at least about 5 amino acids, and, more preferably, of at least about 10 amino acids. It is also preferable that these oligopeptides, peptides, or fragments are identical to a portion of the amino acid sequence of the natural protein and contain the entire amino acid sequence of a small, naturally occurring molecule. Short stretches of UCEH amino acids may be fused with those of another protein, such as KLH, and antibodies to the chimeric molecule may be produced.

Monoclonal antibodies to UCEH may be prepared using any technique which provides for the production of antibody molecules by continuous cell lines in culture. These include, but are not limited to, the hybridoma technique, the human B-cell hybridoma technique, and the EBV-hybridoma technique. (See, e.g., Kohler, G. et al. (1975) Nature 256:495-497; Kozbor, D. et al. (1985) J. Immunol. Methods 81:31-42; Cote, R. J. et al. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 80:2026-2030; and Cole, S. P. et al. (1984) Mol. Cell Biol. 62:109-120.)

In addition, techniques developed for the production of “chimeric antibodies,” such as the splicing of mouse antibody genes to human antibody genes to obtain a molecule with appropriate antigen specificity and biological activity, can be used. (See, e.g., Morrison, S. L. et al. (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 81:6851-6855; Neuberger, M. S. et al. (1984) Nature 312:604-608; and Takeda, S. et al. (1985) Nature 314:452-454.) Alternatively, techniques described for the production of single chain antibodies may be adapted, using methods known in the art, to produce UCEH-specific single chain antibodies. Antibodies with related specificity, but of distinct idiotypic composition, may be generated by chain shuffling from random combinatorial immunoglobulin libraries. (See, e.g., Burton D. R. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 88:10134-10137.)

Antibodies may also be produced by inducing in vivo production in the lymphocyte population or by screening immunoglobulin libraries or panels of highly specific binding reagents as disclosed in the literature. (See, e.g., Orlandi, R. et al. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 86:3833-3837; and Winter, G. et al. (1991) Nature 349:293-299.)

Antibody fragments which contain specific binding sites for UCEH may also be generated. For example, such fragments include, but are not limited to, F(ab′)2 fragments produced by pepsin digestion of the antibody molecule and Fab fragments generated by reducing the disulfide bridges of the F(ab′)2 fragments. Alternatively, Fab expression libraries may be constructed to allow rapid and easy identification of monoclonal Fab fragments with the desired specificity. (See, e.g., Huse, W. D. et al. (1989) Science 246:1275-1281.)

Various immunoassays may be used for screening to identify antibodies having the desired specificity. Numerous protocols for competitive binding or immunoradiometric assays using either polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies with established specificities are well known in the art. Such immunoassays typically involve the measurement of complex formation between UCEH and its specific antibody. A two-site, monoclonal-based immunoassay utilizing monoclonal antibodies reactive to two non-interfering UCEH epitopes is preferred, but a competitive binding assay may also be employed. (Maddox, supra.)

In another embodiment of the invention, the polynucleotides encoding UCEH, or any fragment or complement thereof, may be used for therapeutic purposes. In one aspect, the complement of the polynucleotide encoding UCEH may be used in situations in which it would be desirable to block the transcription of the mRNA. In particular, cells may be transformed with sequences complementary to polynucleotides encoding UCEH. Thus, complementary molecules or fragments may be used to modulate UCEH activity, or to achieve regulation of gene function. Such technology is now well known in the art, and sense or antisense oligonucleotides or larger fragments can be designed from various locations along the coding or control regions of sequences encoding UCEH.

Expression vectors derived from retroviruses, adenoviruses, or herpes or vaccinia viruses, or from various bacterial plasmids, may be used for delivery of nucleotide sequences to the targeted organ, tissue, or cell population. Methods which are well known to those skilled in the art can be used to construct vectors to express nucleic acid sequences complementary to the polynucleotides encoding UCEH. (See, e.g., Sambrook, supra; and Ausubel, supra.)

Genes encoding UCEH can be turned off by transforming a cell or tissue with expression vectors which express high levels of a polynucleotide, or fragment thereof, encoding UCEH. Such constructs may be used to introduce untranslatable sense or antisense sequences into a cell. Even in the absence of integration into the DNA, such vectors may continue to transcribe RNA molecules until they are disabled by endogenous nucleases. Transient expression may last for a month or more with a non-replicating vector, and may last even longer if appropriate replication elements are part of the vector system.

As mentioned above, modifications of gene expression can be obtained by designing complementary sequences or antisense molecules (DNA, RNA, or PNA) to the control, 5′, or regulatory regions of the gene encoding UCEH. Oligonucleotides derived from the transcription initiation site, e.g., between about positions −10 and +10 from the start site, are preferred. Similarly, inhibition can be achieved using triple helix base-pairing methodology. Triple helix pairing is useful because it causes inhibition of the ability of the double helix to open sufficiently for the binding of polymerases, transcription factors, or regulatory molecules. Recent therapeutic advances using triplex DNA have been described in the literature. (See, e.g., Gee, J. et al. (1994) in Huber, B. E. nd B. I. Carr, Molecular and Immunologic Approaches, Futura Publishing Co., Mt. Kisco, N.Y., pp. 163-177.) A complementary sequence or antisense molecule may also be designed to block translation of mRNA by preventing the transcript from binding to ribosomes.

Ribozymes, enzymatic RNA molecules, may also be used to catalyze the specific cleavage of RNA. The mechanism of ribozyme action involves sequence-specific hybridization of the ribozyme molecule to complementary target RNA, followed by endonucleolytic cleavage. For example, engineered hammerhead motif ribozyme molecules may specifically and efficiently catalyze endonucleolytic cleavage of sequences encoding UCEH.

Specific ribozyme cleavage sites within any potential RNA target are initially identified by scanning the target molecule for ribozyme cleavage sites, including the following sequences: GUA, GUU, and GUC. Once identified, short RNA sequences of between 15 and 20 ribonucleotides, corresponding to the region of the target gene containing the cleavage site, may be evaluated for secondary structural features which may render the oligonucleotide inoperable. The suitability of candidate targets may also be evaluated by testing accessibility to hybridization with complementary oligonucleotides using ribonuclease protection assays.

Complementary ribonucleic acid molecules and ribozymes of the invention may be prepared by any method known in the art for the synthesis of nucleic acid molecules. These include techniques for chemically synthesizing oligonucleotides such as solid phase phosphoramidite chemical synthesis. Alternatively, RNA molecules may be generated by in vitro and in vivo transcription of DNA sequences encoding UCEH. Such DNA sequences may be incorporated into a wide variety of vectors with suitable RNA polymerase promoters such as T7 or SP6. Alternatively, these cDNA constructs that synthesize complementary RNA, constitutively or inducibly, can be introduced into cell lines, cells, or tissues.

RNA molecules may be modified to increase intracellular stability and half-life. Possible modifications include, but are not limited to, the addition of flanking sequences at the 5′ and/or 3′ ends of the molecule, or the use of phosphorothioate or 2′O-methyl rather than phosphodiesterase linkages within the backbone of the molecule. This concept is inherent in the production of PNAs and can be extended in all of these molecules by the inclusion of nontraditional bases such as inosine, queosine, and wybutosine, as well as acetyl-, methyl-, thio-, and similarly modified forms of adenine, cytidine, guanine, thymine, and uridine which are not as easily recognized by endogenous endonucleases.

Many methods for introducing vectors into cells or tissues are available and equally suitable for use in vivo, in vitro, and ex vivo. For ex vivo therapy, vectors may be introduced into stem cells taken from the patient and clonally propagated for autologous transplant back into that same patient. Delivery by transfection, by liposome injections, or by polycationic amino polymers may be achieved using methods which are well known in the art. (See, e.g., Goldman, C. K. et al. (1997) Nature Biotechnology 15:462-466.)

Any of the therapeutic methods described above may be applied to any subject in need of such therapy, including, for example, mammals such as dogs, cats, cows, horses, rabbits, monkeys, and most preferably, humans.

An additional embodiment of the invention relates to the administration of a pharmaceutical or sterile composition, in conjunction with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, for any of the therapeutic effects discussed above. Such pharmaceutical compositions may consist of UCEH, antibodies to UCEH, and mimetics, agonists, antagonists, or inhibitors of UCEH. The compositions may be administered alone or in combination with at least one other agent, such as a stabilizing compound, which may be administered in any sterile, biocompatible pharmaceutical carrier including, but not limited to, saline, buffered saline, dextrose, and water. The compositions may be administered to a patient alone, or in combination with other agents, drugs, or hormones.

The pharmaceutical compositions utilized in this invention may be administered by any number of routes including, but not limited to, oral, intravenous, intramuscular, intra-arterial, intramedullary, intrathecal, intraventricular, transdermal, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, intranasal, enteral, topical, sublingual, or rectal means.

In addition to the active ingredients, these pharmaceutical compositions may contain suitable pharmaceutically-acceptable carriers comprising excipients and auxiliaries which facilitate processing of the active compounds into preparations which can be used pharmaceutically. Further details on techniques for formulation and administration may be found in the latest edition of Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences (Maack Publishing Co., Easton, Pa.).

Pharmaceutical compositions for oral administration can be formulated using pharmaceutically acceptable carriers well known in the art in dosages suitable for oral administration. Such carriers enable the pharmaceutical compositions to be formulated as tablets, pills, dragees, capsules, liquids, gels, syrups, slurries, suspensions, and the like, for ingestion by the patient.

Pharmaceutical preparations for oral use can be obtained through combining active compounds with solid excipient and processing the resultant mixture of granules (optionally, after grinding) to obtain tablets or dragee cores. Suitable auxiliaries can be added, if desired. Suitable excipients include carbohydrate or protein fillers, such as sugars, including lactose, sucrose, mannitol, and sorbitol; starch from corn, wheat, rice, potato, or other plants; cellulose, such as methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose, or sodium carboxymethylcellulose; gums, including arabic and tragacanth; and proteins, such as gelatin and collagen. If desired, disintegrating or solubilizing agents may be added, such as the cross-linked polyvinyl pyrrolidone, agar, and alginic acid or a salt thereof, such as sodium alginate.

Dragee cores may be used in conjunction with suitable coatings, such as concentrated sugar solutions, which may also contain gum arabic, talc, polyvinylpyrrolidone, carbopol gel, polyethylene glycol, and/or titanium dioxide, lacquer solutions, and suitable organic solvents or solvent mixtures. Dyestuffs or pigments may be added to the tablets or dragee coatings for product identification or to characterize the quantity of active compound, i.e., dosage.

Pharmaceutical preparations which can be used orally include push-fit capsules made of gelatin, as well as soft, sealed capsules made of gelatin and a coating, such as glycerol or sorbitol. Push-fit capsules can contain active ingredients mixed with fillers or binders, such as lactose or starches, lubricants, such as talc or magnesium stearate, and, optionally, stabilizers. In soft capsules, the active compounds may be dissolved or suspended in suitable liquids, such as fatty oils, liquid, or liquid polyethylene glycol with or without stabilizers.

Pharmaceutical formulations suitable for parenteral administration may be formulated in aqueous solutions, preferably in physiologically compatible buffers such as Hanks' solution, Ringer's solution, or physiologically buffered saline. Aqueous injection suspensions may contain substances which increase the viscosity of the suspension, such as sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sorbitol, or dextran. Additionally, suspensions of the active compounds may be prepared as appropriate oily injection suspensions. Suitable lipophilic solvents or vehicles include fatty oils, such as sesame oil, or synthetic fatty acid esters, such as ethyl oleate, triglycerides, or liposomes. Non-lipid polycationic amino polymers may also be used for delivery. Optionally, the suspension may also contain suitable stabilizers or agents to increase the solubility of the compounds and allow for the preparation of highly concentrated solutions.

For topical or nasal administration, penetrants appropriate to the particular barrier to be permeated are used in the formulation. Such penetrants are generally known in the art.

The pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention may be manufactured in a manner that is known in the art, e.g., by means of conventional mixing, dissolving, granulating, dragee-making, levigating, emulsifying, encapsulating, entrapping, or lyophilizing processes.

The pharmaceutical composition may be provided as a salt and can be formed with many acids, including but not limited to, hydrochloric, sulfuric, acetic, lactic, tartaric, malic, and succinic acids. Salts tend to be more soluble in aqueous or other protonic solvents than are the corresponding free base forms. In other cases, the preferred preparation may be a lyophilized powder which may contain any or all of the following: 1 mM to 50 mM histidine, 0.1% to 2% sucrose, and 2% to 7% mannitol, at a pH range of 4.5 to 5.5, that is combined with buffer prior to use.

After pharmaceutical compositions have been prepared, they can be placed in an appropriate container and labeled for treatment of an indicated condition. For administration of UCEH, such labeling would include amount, frequency, and method of administration.

Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for use in the invention include compositions wherein the active ingredients are contained in an effective amount to achieve the intended purpose. The determination of an effective dose is well within the capability of those skilled in the art.

For any compound, the therapeutically effective dose can be estimated initially either in cell culture assays, e.g., of neoplastic cells or in animal models such as mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, or pigs. An animal model may also be used to determine the appropriate concentration range and route of administration. Such information can then be used to determine useful doses and routes for administration in humans.

A therapeutically effective dose refers to that amount of active ingredient, for example UCEH or fragments thereof, antibodies of UCEH, and agonists, antagonists or inhibitors of UCEH, which ameliorates the symptoms or condition. Therapeutic efficacy and toxicity may be determined by standard pharmaceutical procedures in cell cultures or with experimental animals, such as by calculating the ED₅₀ (the dose therapeutically effective in 50% of the population) or LD₅₀ (the dose lethal to 50% of the population) statistics. The dose ratio of toxic to therapeutic effects is the therapeutic index, which can be expressed as the LD₅₀/ED50 ratio. Pharmaceutical compositions which exhibit large therapeutic indices are preferred. The data obtained from cell culture assays and animal studies are used to formulate a range of dosage for human use. The dosage contained in such compositions is preferably within a range of circulating concentrations that includes the ED₅₀ with little or no toxicity. The dosage varies within this range depending upon the dosage form employed, the sensitivity of the patient, and the route of administration.

The exact dosage will be determined by the practitioner, in light of factors related to the subject requiring treatment. Dosage and administration are adjusted to provide sufficient levels of the active moiety or to maintain the desired effect. Factors which may be taken into account include the severity of the disease state, the general health of the subject, the age, weight, and gender of the subject, time and frequency of administration, drug combination(s), reaction sensitivities, and response to therapy. Long-acting pharmaceutical compositions may be administered every 3 to 4 days, every week, or biweekly depending on the half-life and clearance rate of the particular formulation.

Normal dosage amounts may vary from about 0.1 μg to 100,000 μg, up to a total dose of about 1 gram, depending upon the route of administration. Guidance as to particular dosages and methods of delivery is provided in the literature and generally available to practitioners in the art. Those skilled in the art will employ different formulations for nucleotides than for proteins or their inhibitors. Similarly, delivery of polynucleotides or polypeptides will be specific to particular cells, conditions, locations, etc.

Diagnostics

In another embodiment, antibodies which specifically bind UCEH may be used for the diagnosis of disorders characterized by expression of UCEH, or in assays to monitor patients being treated with UCEH or agonists, antagonists, or inhibitors of UCEH. Antibodies useful for diagnostic purposes may be prepared in the same manner as described above for therapeutics. Diagnostic assays for UCEH include methods which utilize the antibody and a label to detect UCEH in human body fluids or in extracts of cells or tissues. The antibodies may be used with or without modification, and may be labeled by covalent or non-covalent attachment of a reporter molecule. A wide variety of reporter molecules, several of which are described above, are known in the art and may be used.

A variety of protocols for measuring UCEH, including ELISAs, RIAs, and FACS, are known in the art and provide a basis for diagnosing altered or abnormal levels of UCEH expression. Normal or standard values for UCEH expression are established by combining body fluids or cell extracts taken from normal mammalian subjects, preferably human, with antibody to UCEH under conditions suitable for complex formation. The amount of standard complex formation may be quantitated by various methods, preferably by photometric means. Quantities of UCEH expressed in subject samples, control and disease, from biopsied tissues are compared with the standard values. Deviation between standard and subject values establishes the parameters for diagnosing disease.

In another embodiment of the invention, the polynucleotides encoding UCEH may be used for diagnostic purposes. The polynucleotides which may be used include oligonucleotide sequences, complementary RNA and DNA molecules, and PNAs. The polynucleotides may be used to detect and quantitate gene expression in biopsied tissues in which expression of UCEH may be correlated with disease. The diagnostic assay may be used to determine absence, presence, and excess expression of UCEH, and to monitor regulation of UCEH levels during therapeutic intervention.

In one aspect, hybridization with PCR probes which are capable of detecting polynucleotide sequences, including genomic sequences, encoding UCEH or closely related molecules may be used to identify nucleic acid sequences which encode UCEH. The specificity of the probe, whether it is made from a highly specific region, e.g., the 5′ regulatory region, or from a less specific region, e.g., a conserved motif, and the stringency of the hybridization or amplification (maximal, high, intermediate, or low), will determine whether the probe identifies only naturally occurring sequences encoding UCEH, allelic variants, or related sequences.

Probes may also be used for the detection of related sequences, and should preferably have at least 50% sequence identity to any of the UCEH encoding sequences. The hybridization probes of the subject invention may be DNA or RNA and may be derived from the sequence of the sequences of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, or SEQ ID NO:6, or from genomic sequences including promoters, enhancers, and introns of the UCEH gene.

Means for producing specific hybridization probes for DNAs encoding UCEH include the cloning of polynucleotide sequences encoding UCEH or UCEH derivatives into vectors for the production of mRNA probes. Such vectors are known in the art, are commercially available, and may be used to synthesize RNA probes in vitro by means of the addition of the appropriate RNA polymerases and the appropriate labeled nucleotides. Hybridization probes may be labeled by a variety of reporter groups, for example, by radionuclides such as ³²P or ³⁵S, or by enzymatic labels, such as alkaline phosphatase coupled to the probe via avidin/biotin coupling systems, and the like.

Polynucleotide sequences encoding UCEH may be used for the diagnosis of a disorder associated with expression of UCEH. Examples of such a disorder include, but are not limited to, cancers such as adenocarcinoma, leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma, myeloma, sarcoma, teratocarcinoma, and, in particular, cancers of the adrenal gland, bladder, bone, bone marrow, brain, breast, cervix, gall bladder, ganglia, gastrointestinal tract, heart, kidney, liver, lung, muscle, ovary, pancreas, parathyroid, penis, prostate, salivary glands, skin, spleen, testis, thymus, thyroid, and uterus,autoimmune disorders such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Addison's disease, adult respiratory distress syndrome, allergies, ankylosing spondylitis, amyloidosis, anemia, asthma, atherosclerosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thyroiditis, bronchitis, cholecystitis, contact dermatitis, Crohn's disease, atopic dermatitis, dermatomyositis, diabetes mellitus, emphysema, episodic lymphopenia with lymphocytotoxins, erythroblastosis fetalis, erythema nodosum, atrophic gastritis, glomerulonephritis, Goodpasture's syndrome, gout, Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hypereosinophilia, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, myocardial or pericardial inflammation, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, pancreatitis, polymyositis, psoriasis, Reiter's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic anaphylaxis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, thrombocytopenic purpura, ulcerative colitis, uveitis, Werner syndrome, complications of cancer, hemodialysis, and extracorporeal circulation, viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, protozoal, and helminthic infections, and trauma, and neuronal disorders such as akathesia, Alzheimer's disease, amnesia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, bipolar disorder, catatonia, cerebral neoplasms, dementia, depression, diabetic neuropathy, Down's syndrome, tardive dyskinesia, dystonias, epilepsy, Huntington's disease, peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, neurofibromatosis, Parkinson's disease, paranoid psychoses, postherpetic neuralgia, schizophrenia, and Tourette's disorder. The polynucleotide sequences encoding UCEH may be used in Southern or Northern analysis, dot blot, or other membrane-based technologies; in PCR technologies; in dipstick, pin, and ELISA assays; and in microarrays utilizing fluids or tissues from patients to detect altered UCEH expression. Such qualitative or quantitative methods are well known in the art.

In a particular aspect, the nucleotide sequences encoding UCEH may be useful in assays that detect the presence of associated disorders, particularly those mentioned above. The nucleotide sequences encoding UCEH may be labeled by standard methods and added to a fluid or tissue sample from a patient under conditions suitable for the formation of hybridization complexes. After a suitable incubation period, the sample is washed and the signal is quantitated and compared with a standard value. If the amount of signal in the patient sample is significantly altered in comparison to a control sample then the presence of altered levels of nucleotide sequences encoding UCEH in the sample indicates the presence of the associated disorder. Such assays may also be used to evaluate the efficacy of a particular therapeutic treatment regimen in animal studies, in clinical trials, or to monitor the treatment of an individual patient.

In order to provide a basis for the diagnosis of a disorder associated with expression of UCEH, a normal or standard profile for expression is established. This may be accomplished by combining body fluids or cell extracts taken from normal subjects, either animal or human, with a sequence, or a fragment thereof, encoding UCEH, under conditions suitable for hybridization or amplification. Standard hybridization may be quantified by comparing the values obtained from normal subjects with values from an experiment in which a known amount of a substantially purified polynucleotide is used. Standard values obtained in this manner may be compared with values obtained from samples from patients who are symptomatic for a disorder. Deviation from standard values is used to establish the presence of a disorder.

Once the presence of a disorder is established and a treatment protocol is initiated, hybridization assays may be repeated on a regular basis to determine if the level of expression in the patient begins to approximate that which is observed in the normal subject. The results obtained from successive assays may be used to show the efficacy of treatment over a period ranging from several days to months.

With respect to cancer, the presence of a relatively high amount of transcript in biopsied tissue from an individual may indicate a predisposition for the development of the disease, or may provide a means for detecting the disease prior to the appearance of actual clinical symptoms. A more definitive diagnosis of this type may allow health professionals to employ preventative measures or aggressive treatment earlier thereby preventing the development or further progression of the cancer.

Additional diagnostic uses for oligonucleotides designed from the sequences encoding UCEH may involve the use of PCR. These oligomers may be chemically synthesized, generated enzymatically, or produced in vitro. Oligomers will preferably contain a fragment of a polynucleotide encoding UCEH, or a fragment of a polynucleotide complementary to the polynucleotide encoding UCEH, and will be employed under optimized conditions for identification of a specific gene or condition. Oligomers may also be employed under less stringent conditions for detection or quantitation of closely related DNA or RNA sequences.

Methods which may also be used to quantitate the expression of UCEH include radiolabeling or biotinylating nucleotides, coamplification of a control nucleic acid, and interpolating results from standard curves. (See, e.g., Melby, P. C. et al. (1993) J. Immunol. Methods 159:235-244; and Duplaa, C. et al. (1993) Anal. Biochem. 212:229-236.) The speed of quantitation of multiple samples may be accelerated by running the assay in an ELISA format where the oligomer of interest is presented in various dilutions and a spectrophotometric or calorimetric response gives rapid quantitation.

In further embodiments, oligonucleotides or longer fragments derived from any of the polynucleotide sequences described herein may be used as targets in a microarray. The microarray can be used to monitor the expression level of large numbers of genes simultaneously and to identify genetic variants, mutations, and polymorphisms. This information may be used to determine gene function, to understand the genetic basis of a disorder, to diagnose a disorder, and to develop and monitor the activities of therapeutic agents.

Microarrays may be prepared, used, and analyzed using methods known in the art. (See, e.g., Brennan, T. M. et al. (1995) U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,796; Schena, M. et al. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 93:10614-10619; Baldeschweiler et al. (1995) PCT application W095/251116; Shalon, D. et al. (1995) PCT application W095/35505; Heller, R. A. et al. (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 94:2150-2155; and Heller, M. J. et al. (1997) U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,662.)

In another embodiment of the invention, nucleic acid sequences encoding UCEH may be used to generate hybridization probes useful in mapping the naturally occurring genomic sequence. The sequences may be mapped to a particular chromosome, to a specific region of a chromosome, or to artificial chromosome constructions, e.g., human artificial chromosomes (HACs), yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs), bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs), bacterial P1 constructions, or single chromosome cDNA libraries. (See, e.g., Price, C. M. (1993) Blood Rev. 7:127-134; and Trask, B. J. (1991) Trends Genet. 7:149-154.)

Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) may be correlated with other physical chromosome mapping techniques and genetic map data. (See, e.g., Heinz-Ulrich, et al. (1995) in Meyers, R. A. (ed.) Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, VCH Publishers New York, N.Y., pp. 965-968.) Examples of genetic map data can be found in various scientific journals or at the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) site. Correlation between the location of the gene encoding UCEH on a physical chromosomal map and a specific disorder, or a predisposition to a specific disorder, may help define the region of DNA associated with that disorder. The nucleotide sequences of the invention may be used to detect differences in gene sequences among normal, carrier, and affected individuals.

In situ hybridization of chromosomal preparations and physical mapping techniques, such as linkage analysis using established chromosomal markers, may be used for extending genetic maps. Often the placement of a gene on the chromosome of another mammalian species, such as mouse, may reveal associated markers even if the number or arm of a particular human chromosome is not known. New sequences can be assigned to chromosomal arms by physical mapping. This provides valuable information to investigators searching for disease genes using positional cloning or other gene discovery techniques. Once the disease or syndrome has been crudely localized by genetic linkage to a particular genomic region, e.g., ataxia-telangiectasia to 11q22-23, any sequences mapping to that area may represent associated or regulatory genes for further investigation. (See, e.g., Gatti, R. A. et al. (1988) Nature 336:577-580.) The nucleotide sequence of the subject invention may also be used to detect differences in the chromosomal location due to translocation, inversion, etc., among normal, carrier, or affected individuals.

In another embodiment of the invention, UCEH, its catalytic or immunogenic fragments, or oligopeptides thereof can be used for screening libraries of compounds in any of a variety of drug screening techniques. The fragment employed in such screening may be free in solution, affixed to a solid support, borne on a cell surface, or located intracellularly. The formation of binding complexes between UCEH and the agent being tested may be measured.

Another technique for drug screening provides for high throughput screening of compounds having suitable binding affinity to the protein of interest. (See, e.g., Geysen, et al. (1984) PCT application W084/03564.) In this method, large numbers of different small test compounds are synthesized on a solid substrate, such as plastic pins or some other surface. The test compounds are reacted with UCEH, or fragments thereof, and washed. Bound UCEH is then detected by methods well known in the art. Purified UCEH can also be coated directly onto plates for use in the aforementioned drug screening techniques. Alternatively, non-neutralizing antibodies can be used to capture the peptide and immobilize it on a solid support.

In another embodiment, one may use competitive drug screening assays in which neutralizing antibodies capable of binding UCEH specifically compete with a test compound for binding UCEH. In this manner, antibodies can be used to detect the presence of any peptide which shares one or more antigenic determinants with UCEH.

In additional embodiments, the nucleotide sequences which encode UCEH may be used in any molecular biology techniques that have yet to be developed, provided the new techniques rely on properties of nucleotide sequences that are currently known, including, but not limited to, such properties as the triplet genetic code and specific base pair interactions.

The examples below are provided to illustrate the subject invention and are not included for the purpose of limiting the invention.

EXAMPLES

I. Construction of cDNA Libraries

cDNA libraries were constructed from frozen tissue obtained from the small intestine (SINTNOT13), from a colon tumor (COLNTUT16), or from a prostate gland (PROSNOT14). The frozen tissue was homogenized and lysed in guanidinium isothiocyanate solution using a Polytron PT-3000 homogenizer (Brinkmann Instruments, Westbury, N.Y.). The lysate was centrifuged over a CsCl cushion to isolate RNA. Alternatively, RNA was isolated using TRIzol reagent (Catalog #10296-028, GIBCO BRL, Gaithersburg, Md.), a monoplastic solution of phenol and guanidine isothiocyanate. The RNA was extracted with acid phenol, precipitated with sodium acetate and ethanol, resuspended in RNase-free water, and treated with DNase. The RNA was re-extracted with acid phenol and re-precipitated with sodium acetate and ethanol. Poly(A+) RNA was isolated using the OLIGOTEX kit (QIAGEN Inc, Chatsworth, Calif.). This procedure may have been modified to accommodate the specific kits, plasmids, reagents, and machinery available at the time of each library's construction.

Poly(A+) RNA was used for cDNA synthesis and construction of the cDNA libraries according to the recommended protocols in the SUPERSCRIPT plasmid system (Catalog #18248-013, GIBCO BRL). The cDNAs were fractionated on a SEPHAROSE CL4B column (Catalog #275105-01, Pharmacia, Piscataway, N.J.), and those cDNAs exceeding 400 bp were ligated into an appropriate cDNA cloning vector, such as pINCY 1 (Incyte) or PSPORT 1 (GIBCO BRL). The recombinant plasmids were subsequently transformed into DH5a competent cells (Catalog #18258-012, GIBCO BRL).

II. Isolation and Sequencing of cDNA Clones

Plasmid DNA was released from the cells and purified using the R.E.A.L. Prep 96 Plasmid Kit (Catalog #26173, QIAGEN Inc). The recommended protocol was employed except for the following changes: 1) the bacteria were cultured in 1 ml of sterile Terrific Broth (Catalog #22711, GIBCO BRL) with carbenicillin at 25 mg/L and glycerol at 0.4%; 2) after the cultures were incubated for 19 hours, the cells were lysed with 0.3 ml of lysis buffer; and 3) following isopropanol precipitation, the plasmid DNA pellets were each resuspended in 0.1 ml of distilled water. The DNA samples were stored at 4° C.

The cDNAs were sequenced by the method of Sanger et al. (1975, J. Mol. Biol. 94:441f), using a MICROLAB 2200 liquid transfer system (Hamilton, Reno, Nev.) in combination with Peltier thermal cyclers (PTC200 from MJ Research, Watertown, Mass.) and Applied Biosystems 377 DNA sequencing systems.

III. Similarity Searching of cDNA Clones and Their Deduced Proteins

The nucleotide sequences and/or amino acid sequences of the Sequence Listing were used to query sequences in the GenBank, SwissProt, BLOCKS, and Pima II databases. These databases, which contain previously identified and annotated sequences, were searched for regions of similarity using BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool). (See, e.g., Altschul, S. F. (1993) J. Mol. Evol 36:290-300; and Altschul et al. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 215:403-410.)

BLAST produced alignments of both nucleotide and amino acid sequences to determine sequence similarity. Because of the local nature of the alignments, BLAST was especially useful in determining exact matches or in identifying homologs which may be of prokaryotic (bacterial) or eukaryotic (animal, fungal, or plant) origin. Other algorithms could have been used when dealing with primary sequence patterns and secondary structure gap penalties. (See, e.g., Smith, T. et al. (1992) Protein Engineering 5:35-51.) The sequences disclosed in this application have lengths of at least 49 nucleotides and have no more than 12% uncalled bases (where N is recorded rather than A, C, G, or T).

The BLAST approach searched for matches between a query sequence and a database sequence. BLAST evaluated the statistical significance of any matches found, and reported only those matches that satisfy the user-selected threshold of significance. In this application, threshold was set at 10⁻²⁵ for nucleotides and 10⁻⁸for peptides.

Incyte nucleotide sequences were searched against the GenBank databases for primate (pri), rodent (rod), and other mammalian sequences (mam), and deduced amino acid sequences from the same clones were then searched against GenBank functional protein databases, mammalian (mamp), vertebrate (vrtp), and eukaryote (eukp), for similarity.

Additionally, sequences identified from cDNA libraries may be analyzed to identify those gene sequences encoding conserved protein motifs using an appropriate analysis program, e.g., BLOCKS. BLOCKS is a weighted matrix analysis algorithm based on short amino acid segments, or blocks, compiled from the PROSITE database. (Bairoch, A. et al. (1997) Nucleic Acids Res. 25:217-221.) The BLOCKS algorithm is useful for classifying genes with unknown functions. (Henikoff S. And Henikoff G. J., Nucleic Acids Research (1991) 19:6565-6572.) Blocks, which are 3-60 amino acids in length, correspond to the most highly conserved regions of proteins. The BLOCKS algorithm compares a query sequence with a weighted scoring matrix of blocks in the BLOCKS database. Blocks in the BLOCKS database are calibrated against protein sequences with known functions from the SWISS-PROT database to determine the stochastic distribution of matches. Similar databases such as PRINTS, a protein fingerprint database, are also searchable using the BLOCKS algorithm. (Attwood, T. K. et al. (1997) J. Chem. Inf. Comput. Sci. 37:417-424.) PRINTS is based on non-redundant sequences obtained from sources such as SWISS-PROT, GenBank, PIR, and NRL-3D.

The BLOCKS algorithm searches for matches between a query sequence and the BLOCKS or PRINTS database and evaluates the statistical significance of any matches found. Matches from a BLOCKS or PRINTS search can be evaluated on two levels, local similarity and global similarity. The degree of local similarity is measured by scores, and the extent of global similarity is measured by score ranking and probability values. A score of 1000 or greater for a BLOCKS match of highest ranking indicates that the match falls within the 0.5 percentile level of false positives when the matched block is calibrated against SWISS-PROT. Likewise, a probability value of less than 1.0×10⁻³ indicates that the match would occur by chance no more than one time in every 1000 searches. Only those matches with a cutoff score of 1000 or greater and a cutoff probability value of 1.0×10³¹ ³ or less are considered in the functional analyses of the protein sequences in the Sequence Listing.

Nucleic and amino acid sequences of the Sequence Listing may also be analyzed using PFAM. PFAM is a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) based protocol useful in protein family searching. HMM is a probalistic approach which analyzes consensus primary structures of gene families. (See, e.g., Eddy, S. R. (1996) Cur. Opin. Str. Biol. 6:361-365.)

The PFAM database contains protein sequences of 527 protein families gathered from publicly available sources, e.g., SWISS-PROT and PROSITE. PFAM searches for well characterized protein domain families using two high-quality alignment routines, seed alignment and full alignment. (See, e.g., Sonnhammer, E. L. L. et al. (1997) Proteins 28:405-420.) The seed alignment utilizes the hmmls program, a program that searches for local matches, and a non-redundant set of the PFAM database. The full alignment utilizes the hmmfs program, a program that searches for multiple fragments in long sequences, e.g., repeats and motifs, and all sequences in the PFAM database. A result or score of 100 “bits” can signify that it is 2¹⁰⁰-fold more likely that the sequence is a true match to the model or comparison sequence. Cutoff scores which range from 10 to 50 bits are generally used for individual protein families using the SWISS-PROT sequences as model or comparison sequences.

Two other algorithms, SIGPEPT and TM, both based on the HMM algorithm described above (see, e.g., Eddy, supra; and Sonnhammer, supra), identify potential signal sequences and transmembrane domains, respectively. SIGPEPT was created using protein sequences having signal sequence annotations derived from SWISS-PROT. It contains about 1413 non-redundant signal sequences ranging in length from 14 to 36 amino acid residues. TM was created similarly using transmembrane domain annotations. It contains about 453 non-redundant transmembrane sequences encompassing 1579 transmembrane domain segments. Suitable HMM models were constructed using the above sequences and were refined with known SWISS-PROT signal peptide sequences or transmembrane domain sequences until a high correlation coefficient, a measurement of the correctness of the analysis, was obtained. Using the protein sequences from the SWISS-PROT database as a test set, a cutoff score of 11 bits, as determined above, correlated with 91-94% true-positives and about 4.1% false-positives, yielding a correlation coefficient of about 0.87-0.90 for SIGPEPT. A score of 11 bits for TM will typically give the following results: 75% true positives; 1.72% false positives; and a correlation coefficient of 0.76. Each search evaluates the statistical significance of any matches found and reports only those matches that score at least 11 bits.

IV. Northern Analysis

Northern analysis is a laboratory technique used to detect the presence of a transcript of a gene and involves the hybridization of a labeled nucleotide sequence to a membrane on which RNAs from a particular cell type or tissue have been bound. (See, e.g., Sambrook, supra, ch. 7; and Ausubel, supra, ch. 4 and 16.)

Analogous computer techniques applying BLAST are used to search for identical or related molecules in nucleotide databases such as GenBank or LIFESEQ database (Incyte Pharmaceuticals). This analysis is much faster than multiple membrane-based hybridizations. In addition, the sensitivity of the computer search can be modified to determine whether any particular match is categorized as exact or similar.

The basis of the search is the product score, which is defined as: $\frac{\% \quad {sequence}\quad {identity} \times \% \quad {maximum}\quad {BLAST}\quad {score}}{100}$

The product score takes into account both the degree of similarity between two sequences and the length of the sequence match. For example, with a product score of 40, the match will be exact within a 1% to 2% error, and, with a product score of 70, the match will be exact. Similar molecules are usually identified by selecting those which show product scores between 15 and 40, although lower scores may identify related molecules.

The results of Northern analysis are reported as a list of libraries in which the transcript encoding UCEH occurs. Abundance and percent abundance are also reported. Abundance directly reflects the number of times a particular transcript is represented in a cDNA library, and percent abundance is abundance divided by the total number of sequences examined in the cDNA library.

V. Extension of UCEH Encoding Polynucleotides

The nucleic acid sequences of Incyte Clones 1728211, 1803905, and 2792472 were used to design oligonucleotide primers for extending partial nucleotide sequences to full length. For each nucleic acid sequence, one primer was synthesized to initiate extension of an antisense polynucleotide, and the other was synthesized to initiate extension of a sense polynucleotide. Primers were used to facilitate the extension of the known sequence “outward” generating amplicons containing new unknown nucleotide sequence for the region of interest. The initial primers were designed from the cDNA using OLIGO 4.06 primer analysis software (National Biosciences, Plymouth, Minn.), or another appropriate program, to be about 22 to 30 nucleotides in length, to have a GC content of about 50% or more, and to anneal to the target sequence at temperatures of about 68° C. to about 72° C. Any stretch of nucleotides which would result in hairpin structures and primer-primer dimerizations was avoided.

Selected human cDNA libraries (GIBCO BRL) were used to extend the sequence. If more than one extension is necessary or desired, additional sets of primers are designed to further extend the known region.

High fidelity amplification was obtained by following the instructions for the XL-PCR kit (Perkin Elmer) and thoroughly mixing the enzyme and reaction mix. PCR was performed using the Peltier thermal cycler (PTC200; M. J. Research, Watertown, Mass.), beginning with 40 pmol of each primer and the recommended concentrations of all other components of the kit, with the following parameters:

Step 1 94° C. for 1 min (initial denaturation) Step 2 65° C. for 1 min Step 3 68° C. for 6 min Step 4 94° C. for 15 sec Step 5 65° C. for 1 min Step 6 68° C. for 7 min Step 7 Repeat steps 4 through 6 for an additional 15 cycles Step 8 94° C. for 15 sec Step 9 65° C. for 1 min Step 10 68° C. for 7:15 min Step 11 Repeat steps 8 through 10 for an additional 12 cycles Step 12 72° C. for 8 min Step 13  4° C. (and holding)

A 5 μl to 10 μl aliquot of the reaction mixture was analyzed by electrophoresis on a low concentration (about 0.6% to 0.8%) agarose mini-gel to determine which reactions were successful in extending the sequence. Bands thought to contain the largest products were excised from the gel, purified using QIAQUICK (QIAGEN Inc.), and trimmed of overhangs using Klenow enzyme to facilitate religation and cloning.

After ethanol precipitation, the products were redissolved in 13 μl of ligation buffer, T4-DNA ligase (15 units) and 1 μl T4 polynucleotide kinase were added, and the mixture was incubated at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight at 16° C. Competent E. coli cells (in 40 μl of appropriate media) were transformed with 3 μl of ligation mixture and cultured in 80 μl of SOC medium. (See, e.g., Sambrook, supra, Appendix A, p. 2.) After incubation for one hour at 37° C., the E. coli mixture was plated on Luria Bertani (LB) agar (See, e.g., Sambrook, supra, Appendix A, p. 1) containing carbenicillin (2× carb). The following day, several colonies were randomly picked from each plate and cultured in 150 μl of liquid LB/2× carb medium placed in an individual well of an appropriate commercially-available sterile 96-well microtiter plate. The following day, 5 μl of each overnight culture was transferred into a non-sterile 96-well plate and, after dilution 1:10 with water, 5 μl from each sample was transferred into a PCR array.

For PCR amplification, 18 μl of concentrated PCR reaction mix (3.3×) containing 4 units of rTth DNA polymerase, a vector primer, and one or both of the gene specific primers used for the extension reaction were added to each well. Amplification was performed using the following conditions:

Step 1 94° C. for 60 sec Step 2 94° C. for 20 sec Step 3 55° C. for 30 sec Step 4 72° C. for 90 sec Step 5 Repeat steps 2 through 4 for an additional 29 cycles Step 6 72° C. for 180 sec Step 7  4° C. (and holding)

Aliquots of the PCR reactions were run on agarose gels together with molecular weight markers. The sizes of the PCR products were compared to the original partial cDNAs, and appropriate clones were selected, ligated into plasmid, and sequenced.

In like manner, the nucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, and SEQ ID NO:6 are used to obtain 5′ regulatory sequences using the procedure above, oligonucleotides designed for 5 extension, and an appropriate genomic library.

VI. Labeling and Use of Individual Hybridization Probes

Hybridization probes derived from of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, and SEQ ID NO:6 are employed to screen cDNAs, genomic DNAs, or mRNAs. Although the labeling of oligonucleotides, consisting of about 20 base pairs, is specifically described, essentially the same procedure is used with larger nucleotide fragments. Oligonucleotides are designed using state-of-the-art software such as OLIGO 4.06 software (National Biosciences) and labeled by combining 50 pmol of each oligomer, 250 μCi of [γ−³²P] adenosine triphosphate (Amersham, Chicago, Ill.), and T4 polynucleotide kinase (DuPont NEN, Boston, Mass.). The labeled oligonucleotides are substantially purified using a SEPHADEX G-25 superfine size exclusion dextran bead column (Pharmacia & Upjohn, Kalamazoo, Mich.). An aliquot containing 10⁷ counts per minute of the labeled probe is used in a typical membrane-based hybridization analysis of human genomic DNA digested with one of the following endonucleases: Ase I, Bgl II, Eco RI, Pst I, Xbal, or Pvu II (DuPont NEN, Boston, Mass.).

The DNA from each digest is fractionated on a 0.7% agarose gel and transferred to nylon membranes (Nytran Plus, Schleicher & Schuell, Durham, N.H.). Hybridization is carried out for 16 hours at 40° C. To remove nonspecific signals, blots are sequentially washed at room temperature under increasingly stringent conditions up to 0.1× saline sodium citrate and 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate. After XOMAT AR film (Kodak, Rochester, N.Y.) is exposed to the blots, hybridization patterns are compared visually.

VII. Microarrays

A chemical coupling procedure and an ink jet device can be used to synthesize array elements on the surface of a substrate. (See, e.g., Baldeschweiler, supra.) An array analogous to a dot or slot blot may also be used to arrange and link elements to the surface of a substrate using thermal, UV, chemical, or mechanical bonding procedures. A typical array may be produced by hand or using available methods and machines and contain any appropriate number of elements. After hybridization, nonhybridized probes are removed and a scanner used to determine the levels and patterns of fluorescence. The degree of complementarity and the relative abundance of each probe which hybridizes to an element on the microarray may be assessed through analysis of the scanned images.

Full-length cDNAs, Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs), or fragments thereof may comprise the elements of the microarray. Fragments suitable for hybridization can be selected using software well known in the art such as LASERGENE. Full-length cDNAs, ESTs, or fragments thereof corresponding to one of the nucleotide sequences of the present invention, or selected at random from a cDNA library relevant to the present invention, are arranged on an appropriate substrate, e.g., a glass slide. The cDNA is fixed to the slide using, e.g., UV cross-linking followed by thermal and chemical treatments and subsequent drying. (See, e.g., Schena, M. et al. (1995) Science 270:467-470; and Shalon, D. et al. (1996) Genome Res. 6:639-645.) Fluorescent probes are prepared and used for hybridization to the elements on the substrate. The substrate is analyzed by procedures described above.

VIII. Complementary Polynucleotides

Sequences complementary to the UCEH-encoding sequences, or any parts thereof, are used to detect, decrease, or inhibit expression of naturally occurring UCEH. Although use of oligonucleotides comprising from about 15 to 30 base pairs is described, essentially the same procedure is used with smaller or with larger sequence fragments. Appropriate oligonucleotides are designed using OLIGO 4.06 primer analysis software and the coding sequence of UCEH. To inhibit transcription, a complementary oligonucleotide is designed from the most unique 5′ sequence and used to prevent promoter binding to the coding sequence. To inhibit translation, a complementary oligonucleotide is designed to prevent ribosomal binding to the UCEH-encoding transcript.

IX. Expression of UCEH

Expression and purification of UCEH is achieved using bacterial or virus-based expression systems. For expression of UCEH in bacteria, cDNA is subcloned into an appropriate vector containing an antibiotic resistance gene and an inducible promoter that directs high levels of cDNA transcription. Examples of such promoters include, but are not limited to, the trp-lac (tac) hybrid promoter and the T5 or T7 bacteriophage promoter in conjunction with the lac operator regulatory element. Recombinant vectors are transformed into suitable bacterial hosts, e.g., BL21(DE3). Antibiotic resistant bacteria express UCEH upon induction with isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). Expression of UCEH in eukaryotic cells is achieved by infecting insect or mammalian cell lines with recombinant Autographica californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV), commonly known as baculovirus. The nonessential polyhedrin gene of baculovirus is replaced with cDNA encoding UCEH by either homologous recombination or bacterial-mediated transposition involving transfer plasmid intermediates. Viral infectivity is maintained and the strong polyhedrin promoter drives high levels of cDNA transcription. Recombinant baculovirus is used to infect Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells in most cases, or human hepatocytes, in some cases. Infection of the latter requires additional genetic modifications to baculovirus. (See Engelhard, E. K. et al. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:3224-3227; Sandig, V. et al. (1996) Hum. Gene Ther. 7:1937-1945.)

In most expression systems, UCEH is synthesized as a fusion protein with, e.g., glutathione S-transferase (GST) or a peptide epitope tag, such as FLAG or 6-His, permitting rapid, single-step, affinity-based purification of recombinant fusion protein from crude cell lysates. GST, a 26-kilodalton enzyme from Schistosoma japonicum, enables the purification of fusion proteins on immobilized glutathione under conditions that maintain protein activity and antigenicity (Pharmacia, Piscataway, N.J.). Following purification, the GST moiety can be proteolytically cleaved from UCEH at specifically engineered sites. FLAG, an 8-amino acid peptide, enables immunoaffinity purification using commercially available monoclonal and polyclonal anti-FLAG antibodies (Eastman Kodak, Rochester, N.Y.). 6-His, a stretch of six consecutive histidine residues, enables purification on metal-chelate resins (QIAGEN Inc, Chatsworth, Calif.). Methods for protein expression and purification are discussed in Ausubel, F. M. et al. (1995 and periodic supplements) Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, New York, N.Y., ch 10, 16. Purified UCEH obtained by these methods can be used directly in the following activity assay.

X. Demonstration of UCEH Activity

UCEH activity is demonstrated by the formation of di-ubiquitin conjugates from free ubiquitin (van Nocker et al. supra). UCEH is incubated together with 75 pmol ¹²⁵I-labeled ubiquitin, 20 nM wheat E1, 2 mM Mg ATP, 0.1 mM dithiothreitol, and 50 mM Tris-HCI, pH 8.0. The reaction is incubated for 2 minutes at 4° C, and the di-ubiquitin product separated from free ubiquitin by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Di-ubiquitin is visualized by autoradiography, removed from the gel, and counted in a gamma radioisotope counter. The amount of di-ubiquitin formed in the reaction is proportional to the activity of UCEH in the assay.

XI. Functional Assays

UCEH function is assessed by expressing the sequences encoding UCEH at physiologically elevated levels in mammalian cell culture systems. cDNA is subcloned into a mammalian expression vector containing a strong promoter that drives high levels of cDNA expression. Vectors of choice include PCMV SPORT plasmid (Life Technologies, Gaithersburg, Md.) and PCR 3.1 plasmid (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif., both of which contain the cytomegalovirus promoter. 5-10 μg of recombinant vector are transiently transfected into a human cell line, preferably of endothelial or hematopoietic origin, using either liposome formulations or electroporation. 1-2 μg of an additional plasmid containing sequences encoding a marker protein are co-transfected. Expression of a marker protein provides a means to distinguish transfected cells from nontransfected cells and is a reliable predictor of cDNA expression from the recombinant vector. Marker proteins of choice include, e.g., Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) (Clontech, Palo Alto, Calif.), CD64, or a CD64-GFP fusion protein. Flow cytometry (FCM), an automated, laser optics-based technique, is used to identify transfected cells expressing GFP or CD64-GFP, and to evaluate properties, for example, their apoptotic state. FCM detects and quantifies the uptake of fluorescent molecules that diagnose events preceding or coincident with cell death. These events include changes in nuclear DNA content as measured by staining of DNA with propidium iodide; changes in cell size and granularity as measured by forward light scatter and 90 degree side light scatter; down-regulation of DNA synthesis as measured by decrease in bromodeoxyuridine uptake; alterations in expression of cell surface and intracellular proteins as measured by reactivity with specific antibodies; and alterations in plasma membrane composition as measured by the binding of fluorescein-conjugated Annexin V protein to the cell surface. Methods in flow cytometry are discussed in Ormerod, M. G. (1994) Flow Cytometry, Oxford, New York, N.Y.

The influence of UCEH on gene expression can be assessed using highly purified populations of cells transfected with sequences encoding UCEH and either CD64 or CD64-GFP. CD64 and CD64-GFP are expressed on the surface of transfected cells and bind to conserved regions of human immunoglobulin G (IgG). Transfected cells are efficiently separated from nontransfected cells using magnetic beads coated with either human IgG or antibody against CD64 (DYNAL, Lake Success, N.Y.). mRNA can be purified from the cells using methods well known by those of skill in the art. Expression of mRNA encoding UCEH and other genes of interest can be analyzed by Northern analysis or microarray techniques.

XII. Production of UCEH Specific Antibodies

UCEH substantially purified using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)(see, e.g., Harrington, M. G. (1990) Methods Enzymol. 182:488-495), or other purification techniques, is used to immunize rabbits and to produce antibodies using standard protocols.

Alternatively, the UCEH amino acid sequence is analyzed using LASERGENE software (DNASTAR Inc.) to determine regions of high immunogenicity, and a corresponding oligopeptide is synthesized and used to raise antibodies by means known to those of skill in the art. Methods for selection of appropriate epitopes, such as those near the C-terminus or in hydrophilic regions are well described in the art. (See, e.g., Ausubel supra, ch. 11.)

Typically, oligopeptides 15 residues in length are synthesized using an Applied Biosystems peptide synthesizer Model 431A using fmoc-chemistry and coupled to KLH (Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.) by reaction with N-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (MBS) to increase immunogenicity. (See, e.g., Ausubel supra.) Rabbits are immunized with the oligopeptide-KLH complex in complete Freund's adjuvant. Resulting antisera are tested for antipeptide activity by, for example, binding the peptide to plastic, blocking with 1% BSA, reacting with rabbit antisera, washing, and reacting with radio-iodinated goat anti-rabbit IgG.

XIII. Purification of Naturally Occurring UCEH Using Specific Antibodies

Naturally occurring or recombinant UCEH is substantially purified by immunoaffinity chromatography using antibodies specific for UCEH. An immunoaffinity column is constructed by covalently coupling anti-UCEH antibody to an activated chromatographic resin, such as CNBr-activated SEPHAROSE (Pharmacia & Upjohn). After the coupling, the resin is blocked and washed according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Media containing UCEH are passed over the immunoaffinity column, and the column is washed under conditions that allow the preferential absorbance of UCEH (e.g., high ionic strength buffers in the presence of detergent). The column is eluted under conditions that disrupt antibody/UCEH binding (e.g., a buffer of pH 2 to pH 3, or a high concentration of a chaotrope, such as urea or thiocyanate ion), and UCEH is collected.

XIV. Identification of Molecules Which Interact with UCEH

UCEH, or biologically active fragments thereof, are labeled with ¹²⁵I Bolton-Hunter reagent. (See, e.g., Bolton et al. (1973) Biochem. J. 133:529.) Candidate molecules previously arrayed in the wells of a multi-well plate are incubated with the labeled UCEH, washed, and any wells with labeled UCEH complex are assayed. Data obtained using different concentrations of UCEH are used to calculate values for the number, affinity, and association of UCEH with the candidate molecules.

Various modifications and variations of the described methods and systems of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in molecular biology or related fields are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.

                   #             SEQUENCE LISTING (1) GENERAL INFORMATION:    (iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 6 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 1:      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:           (A) LENGTH: 250 amino  #acids           (B) TYPE: amino acid           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single           (D) TOPOLOGY: linear    (vii) IMMEDIATE SOURCE:           (A) LIBRARY: PROSNOT14           (B) CLONE: 1728211     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:  #1 : Met Ala Leu Leu Ala Thr Ser Leu Pro Glu Gl #y Ile Met Val Lys                    #5                   #10                   #15 Thr Phe Glu Asp Arg Met Asp Leu Phe Ser Al #a Leu Ile Lys Gly                  20  #                 25  #                 30 Pro Thr Arg Thr Pro Tyr Glu Asp Gly Leu Ty #r Leu Phe Asp Ile                  35  #                 40  #                 45 Gln Leu Pro Asn Ile Tyr Pro Ala Val Pro Pr #o His Phe Cys Tyr                  50  #                 55  #                 60 Leu Ser Gln Cys Ser Gly Arg Leu Asn Pro As #n Leu Tyr Asp Asn                  65  #                 70  #                 75 Gly Lys Val Cys Val Ser Leu Leu Gly Thr Tr #p Ile Gly Lys Gly                  80  #                 85  #                 90 Thr Glu Arg Trp Thr Ser Lys Ser Ser Leu Le #u Gln Val Leu Ile                  95  #                100  #                105 Ser Ile Gln Gly Leu Ile Leu Val Asn Glu Pr #o Tyr Tyr Asn Glu                 110   #               115   #               120 Ala Gly Phe Asp Ser Asp Arg Gly Leu Gln Gl #u Gly Tyr Glu Asn                 125   #               130   #               135 Ser Arg Cys Tyr Asn Glu Met Ala Leu Ile Ar #g Val Val Gln Ser                 140   #               145   #               150 Met Thr Gln Leu Val Arg Arg Pro Pro Glu Va #l Phe Glu Gln Glu                 155   #               160   #               165 Ile Arg Gln His Phe Ser Thr Gly Gly Trp Ar #g Leu Val Asn Arg                 170   #               175   #               180 Ile Glu Ser Trp Leu Glu Thr His Ala Leu Le #u Glu Lys Ala Gln                 185   #               190   #               195 Ala Leu Pro Asn Gly Val Pro Lys Ala Ser Se #r Ser Pro Glu Pro                 200   #               205   #               210 Pro Ala Val Ala Glu Leu Ser Asp Ser Gly Gl #n Gln Glu Pro Glu                 215   #               220   #               225 Asp Gly Gly Pro Ala Pro Gly Glu Ala Ser Gl #n Gly Ser Asp Ser                 230   #               235   #               240 Glu Gly Gly Ala Gln Gly Leu Ala Phe Ser                 245   #               250 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 2:      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:           (A) LENGTH: 282 amino  #acids           (B) TYPE: amino acid           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single           (D) TOPOLOGY: linear    (vii) IMMEDIATE SOURCE:           (A) LIBRARY: SINTNOT13           (B) CLONE: 1803905     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:  #2 : Met Ala Gln Gln Gln Met Thr Ser Ser Gln Ly #s Ala Leu Met Leu                    #5                   #10                   #15 Glu Leu Lys Ser Leu Gln Glu Glu Pro Val Gl #u Gly Phe Arg Ile                  20  #                 25  #                 30 Thr Leu Val Asp Glu Ser Asp Leu Tyr Asn Tr #p Glu Val Ala Ile                  35  #                 40  #                 45 Phe Gly Leu Pro Asn Thr Leu Tyr Glu Gly Gl #y Tyr Phe Lys Ala                  50  #                 55  #                 60 His Ile Lys Phe Pro Ile Asp Tyr Pro Tyr Se #r Pro Pro Thr Phe                  65  #                 70  #                 75 Arg Phe Leu Thr Lys Met Trp His Pro Asn Il #e Tyr Glu Asn Gly                  80  #                 85  #                 90 Asp Val Cys Ile Ser Ile Leu His Pro Pro Va #l Asp Asp Pro Gln                  95  #                100  #                105 Ser Gly Glu Leu Pro Ser Glu Arg Trp Asn Pr #o Thr Gln Asn Val                 110   #               115   #               120 Arg Thr Ile Leu Leu Ser Val Ile Ser Leu Le #u Asn Glu Pro Asn                 125   #               130   #               135 Thr Phe Ser Pro Ala Asn Val Asp Ala Ser Va #l Met Phe Arg Lys                 140   #               145   #               150 Trp Arg Asp Ser Lys Gly Lys Asp Lys Glu Ty #r Ala Glu Ile Ile                 155   #               160   #               165 Arg Lys Gln Val Ser Ala Thr Lys Ala Glu Al #a Glu Lys Asp Gly                 170   #               175   #               180 Val Lys Val Pro Thr Thr Leu Ala Glu Tyr Cy #s Ile Lys Thr Lys                 185   #               190   #               195 Val Pro Ser Asn Asp Asn Ser Ser Asp Leu Le #u Tyr Asp Asp Leu                 200   #               205   #               210 Tyr Asp Asp Asp Ile Asp Asp Glu Asp Glu Gl #u Glu Glu Asp Ala                 215   #               220   #               225 Asp Cys Tyr Asp Asp Asp Asp Ser Gly Met Ar #g Ser Arg Asp Val                 230   #               235   #               240 Leu Leu Gln Cys Pro Cys Thr Ala Leu Pro Se #r Gln Ala Lys Gly                 245   #               250   #               255 Arg Gly Ala Ser Gly Asp Leu Ala Met Ala Pr #o Gln Gln Lys Pro                 260   #               265   #               270 Ile His Ser Gly Trp Gly Asn Thr His Ser Se #r Cys                 275   #               280 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 3:      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:           (A) LENGTH: 318 amino  #acids           (B) TYPE: amino acid           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single           (D) TOPOLOGY: linear    (vii) IMMEDIATE SOURCE:           (A) LIBRARY: COLNTUT16           (B) CLONE: 2792472     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:  #3 : Met Glu Thr Arg Tyr Asn Leu Lys Ser Pro Al #a Val Lys Arg Leu                    #5                   #10                   #15 Met Lys Glu Ala Ala Glu Leu Lys Asp Pro Th #r Asp His Tyr His                  20  #                 25  #                 30 Ala Gln Pro Leu Glu Asp Asn Leu Phe Glu Tr #p His Phe Thr Val                  35  #                 40  #                 45 Arg Gly Pro Pro Asp Ser Asp Phe Asp Gly Gl #y Val Tyr His Gly                  50  #                 55  #                 60 Arg Ile Val Leu Pro Pro Glu Tyr Pro Met Ly #s Pro Pro Ser Ile                  65  #                 70  #                 75 Ile Leu Leu Thr Ala Asn Gly Arg Phe Glu Va #l Gly Lys Lys Ile                  80  #                 85  #                 90 Cys Leu Ser Ile Ser Gly His His Pro Glu Th #r Trp Gln Pro Ser                  95  #                100  #                105 Trp Ser Ile Arg Thr Ala Leu Leu Ala Ile Il #e Gly Phe Met Pro                 110   #               115   #               120 Thr Lys Gly Glu Gly Ala Ile Gly Ser Leu As #p Tyr Thr Pro Glu                 125   #               130   #               135 Glu Arg Arg Ala Leu Ala Lys Lys Ser Gln As #p Phe Cys Cys Glu                 140   #               145   #               150 Gly Cys Gly Ser Ala Met Lys Asp Val Leu Le #u Pro Leu Lys Ser                 155   #               160   #               165 Gly Ser Asp Ser Ser Gln Ala Asp Gln Glu Al #a Lys Glu Leu Ala                 170   #               175   #               180 Arg Gln Ile Ser Phe Lys Ala Glu Val Asn Se #r Ser Gly Lys Thr                 185   #               190   #               195 Ile Ser Glu Ser Asp Leu Asn His Ser Phe Se #r Leu Thr Asp Leu                 200   #               205   #               210 Gln Asp Asp Ile Pro Thr Thr Phe Gln Gly Al #a Thr Ala Ser Thr                 215   #               220   #               225 Ser Tyr Gly Leu Gln Asn Ser Ser Ala Ala Se #r Phe His Gln Pro                 230   #               235   #               240 Thr Gln Pro Val Ala Lys Asn Thr Ser Met Se #r Pro Arg Gln Arg                 245   #               250   #               255 Arg Ala Gln Gln Gln Ser Gln Arg Arg Leu Se #r Thr Ser Pro Asp                 260   #               265   #               270 Val Ile Gln Gly His Gln Pro Arg Asp Asn Hi #s Thr Asp His Gly                 275   #               280   #               285 Gly Ser Ala Val Leu Ile Val Ile Leu Thr Le #u Ala Leu Ala Ala                 290   #               295   #               300 Leu Ile Phe Arg Arg Ile Tyr Leu Ala Asn Gl #u Tyr Ile Phe Asp                 305   #               310   #               315 Phe Glu Leu (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 4:      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:           (A) LENGTH: 1006 base  #pairs           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single           (D) TOPOLOGY: linear    (vii) IMMEDIATE SOURCE:           (A) LIBRARY: PROSNOT14           (B) CLONE: 1728211     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:  #4 : AGGTCTTCTC CGTACTGGAG TTTGCACCCT CAAATCATTC TTTTAAGAAA AT #TGAGTTCC     60 AGCCTCCAGA AGCCAAGAAG TTCTTCAGCA CAGTGCGGAA GGAGATGGCG CT #GCTGGCTA    120 CCTCACTGCC TGAGGGCATC ATGGTCAAGA CTTTTGAAGA TAGAATGGAC CT #CTTCTCAG    180 CTCTCATCAA GGGCCCCACT CGAACCCCCT ACGAGGATGG CCTCTACTTG TT #TGACATCC    240 AGCTCCCCAA CATCTACCCA GCCGTGCCCC CCCACTTCTG CTACCTCTCC CA #ATGCAGTG    300 GCCGCCTGAA CCCCAACCTG TATGACAATG GGAAGGTGTG TGTCAGCCTC CT #GGGCACCT    360 GGATTGGAAA GGGGACAGAG AGGTGGACAA GCAAGTCCAG CCTTCTCCAG GT #GCTCATCT    420 CCATCCAAGG TCTGATCCTG GTAAATGAAC CATACTACAA CGAAGCCGGC TT #CGACAGTG    480 ACCGAGGCCT GCAGGAAGGC TATGAAAACA GTCGCTGTTA CAATGAGATG GC #GCTGATCC    540 GCGTGGTGCA GTCCATGACC CAGCTGGTGC GGCGGCCCCC CGAGGTCTTT GA #GCAGGAGA    600 TCAGGCAACA CTTTAGCACT GGTGGCTGGC GGCTGGTGAA CCGTATCGAG TC #CTGGCTGG    660 AAACCCATGC CCTGCTGGAG AAGGCCCAGG CACTGCCCAA CGGGGTGCCC AA #GGCCAGCA    720 GCTCGCCAGA GCCCCCAGCT GTAGCCGAGC TGTCAGACTC CGGCCAACAA GA #ACCTGAGG    780 ATGGAGGGCC AGCCCCAGGA GAGGCCTCCC AGGGCTCAGA CTCAGAGGGC GG #TGCCCAGG    840 GCCTGGCCTT CAGCTAGCAG GGACCACACA GACCAGACTT CGGAGACCGC AC #CAGACGCA    900 TCGGTGCCAC CCAGTGTGAA ACCCAAAGAA GCGGAGAAAG AGCNTTAAGA GC #TACCGGAG    960 CTTCTTACCT GAGAAGAGTG GCTACCCTGA CATCGGCTTC CCCCTC    #               1006 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 5:      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:           (A) LENGTH: 2067 base  #pairs           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single           (D) TOPOLOGY: linear    (vii) IMMEDIATE SOURCE:           (A) LIBRARY: SINTNOT13           (B) CLONE: 1803905     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:  #5 : TTTTNTGTGT GTGCNCCCNG TNNGTGNCCC TNCTANGTGG TGGGNTTTGT TG #TNGGTGTC     60 TTCCTCTGTT TNTNTTTNCC TTGCCATTGC CTCAGNCTTC CNGTCCTCNT NN #NCCNNTTT    120 TGNGCNCCCC CCNATGTCCN TGCGCCCTAG NNGTTTGGNN CNCCCCCAAA GN #TCTCNGNC    180 CTNNCTGAAA GGGNNCCCCC CTNNGAAAAG GCCTNCTCGG NAATTGGNGT AA #AAANATCC    240 CCCNTNGCCA AGGGNGGGNG GGGAAAACCC CGGGTTTNGG AAAGGGGGCN TT #TTNCCGNG    300 GNNATTNCCC CCCCTGTTGG GTNTGGNACC GGNNTTCCCC NGANCCTNTT TT #AACNAANC    360 TTGGGGGAAG GTTTNNCCAA NTTNTTTCGG GACTTCCCCC CAACACNCNT TT #TANNGGAA    420 NGGCGGNCNT ATTTCTTCGG CCGAGGGTTA CATTCTGATG TTGGAGCGCC GC #CGCCGCGA    480 TGGCCCAGCA GCAGATGACC AGCTCGCAGA AGGCCCTGAT GCTCGAGCTG AA #ATCCCTGC    540 AGGAGGAACC GGTGGAGGGC TTCCGGATCA CCCTGGTGGA CGAGTCCGAC CT #CTACAACT    600 GGGAGGTGGC CATCTTCGGA CTCCCCAACA CCCTCTACGA AGGCGGCTAC TT #CAAGGCGC    660 ATATTAAATT TCCTATTGAC TACCCCTATT CACCACCTAC CTTCAGATTC TT #GACCAAAA    720 TGTGGCACCC CAACATTTAT GAGAATGGAG ATGTATGCAT TTCGATTCTT CA #TCCGCCTG    780 TAGATGACCC ACAGAGTGGA GAACTGCCTT CTGAAAGGTG GAATCCTACT CA #GAATGTGA    840 GGACTATCCT ATTAAGTGTA ATCTCACTGC TTAATGAGCC CAACACCTTC TC #CCCAGCCA    900 ATGTCGATGC TTCAGTTATG TTCAGGAAAT GGAGAGACAG TAAAGGAAAA GA #CAAAGAAT    960 ATGCTGAAAT TATTAGGAAA CAAGTTTCAG CCACTAAGGC CGAAGCAGAA AA #GGATGGAG   1020 TGAAGGTCCC CACAACCCTG GCGGAATACT GCATCAAAAC TAAAGTGCCT TC #CAATGACA   1080 ACAGCTCAGA TTTGCTTTAC GACGACTTGT ATGATGACGA CATTGATGAT GA #AGATGAGG   1140 AGGAGGAAGA TGCCGACTGT TATGATGATG ATGATTCTGG GATGAGGAGT CG #TGACGTGC   1200 TCCTTCAGTG CCCCTGTACT GCCCTGCCAT CTCAGGCCAA AGGGAGGGGA GC #AAGTGGGG   1260 ACCTGGCCAT GGCCCCTCAG CAAAAACCTA TTCACAGCGG GTGGGGAAAC AC #ACACAGCT   1320 CCTGCTGACT CCCCTTATGG ATCTCAGTTT GCTCCTTTTT ATGGACCTTT AA #TGGAGAGA   1380 GAGTAACCCT CCACAGAATG TCTGAATTCT TGCATTCTTT ACCCTTCCAT CA #CTATATTG   1440 ATTCTTTTTT TAAAAAATAT GAACCCAAAC TCCCGCCTCA CTTCGTCTCT AC #AGAATGTT   1500 CACAGCAAAA CACGTTTGGT CTGTTTTTAG ATTCTTGAAG AATTCAATAG TC #TTTCAAGA   1560 TGTTTAATGT GTTTAAAGCT GGGAACCTGT TGGGAGTTCA CAAGTGCTGC AT #ATACTGGG   1620 TAGCAAAAGA AAATGGAAAA AAACCCACAA AACAAACTTT AAAAAAAAAA AA #AAACAAAT   1680 TTGCCAAGGT TTAGCTGCTC ATTTACATTA GTGTGTGTGC ATTCGTTCAG CC #CCATGGTG   1740 GTGAATTCTG TTTCTTTCCT TTCCTAAGGC TGGGACATGG TGGGCATCAG GG #ACTTTGTG   1800 CTAAGCCTGA TGAAATGTGC TCCTTCAATC TCCATGAAAC CATCGTAACA TG #GAGGCCTC   1860 AGCTGCTCTG AGGAGAGAAA TCAGACTTTG TTTTTTGAAA TCGATTGGGA TC #GAAAGCCT   1920 GAAATAAATA TTCATACTTT CCATAGTCCA CCCAAAATGA GAAAGGAGGA GA #AAAAAAAA   1980 AAGGGGGGGG CGCCGGCCTA GTGACCCCTG TCGACCCGGG AATTAAATTC CG #GACCGGGA   2040 CCTGCAGGGG TGTACCAGGT TTTCCCT           #                   #           2067 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 6:      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:           (A) LENGTH: 1067 base  #pairs           (B) TYPE: nucleic acid           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single           (D) TOPOLOGY: linear    (vii) IMMEDIATE SOURCE:           (A) LIBRARY: COLNTUT16           (B) CLONE: 2792472     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:  #6 : CGGGAGGCCG GAGCCAAGCC AGCGACCCAC CATGGAGACC CGCTACAACC TG #AAGAGTCC     60 GGCTGTTAAA CGTTTAATGA AAGAAGCGGC AGAATTGAAA GATCCAACAG AT #CATTACCA    120 TGCGCAGCCT TTAGAGGATA ACCTTTTTGA ATGGCACTTC ACGGTTAGAG GG #CCCCCAGA    180 CTCCGATTTT GATGGAGGAG TTTATCACGG GCGGATAGTA CTGCCACCAG AG #TATCCCAT    240 GAAACCACCA AGCATTATTC TCCTAACGGC TAATGGTCGA TTTGAAGTGG GC #AAGAAAAT    300 CTGTTTGAGC ATCTCAGGCC ATCATCCTGA AACTTGGCAG CCTTCGTGGA GT #ATAAGGAC    360 AGCATTATTA GCCATCATTG GGTTTATGCC AACAAAAGGA GAGGGAGCCA TA #GGTTCTCT    420 AGATTACACT CCTGAGGAAA GAAGAGCACT TGCCAAAAAA TCACAAGATT TC #TGTTGTGA    480 AGGATGTGGC TCTGCCATGA AGGATGTCCT GTTGCCTTTA AAATCTGGAA GC #GATTCAAG    540 CCAAGCTGAC CAAGAAGCCA AAGAACTGGC TAGGCAAATA AGCTTTAAGG CA #GAAGTCAA    600 TTCATCTGGA AAGACTATCT CTGAGTCAGA CTTAAACCAC TCTTTTTCAC TA #ACTGATTT    660 ACAAGATGAT ATACCTACAA CATTCCAGGG TGCTACGGCC AGTACATCGT AC #GGACTCCA    720 GAATTCCTCA GCAGCATCCT TTCATCAACC TACCCAACCT GTAGCTAAGA AT #ACCTCCAT    780 GAGCCCTCGA CAGCGCCGGG CCCAGCAGCA GAGTCAGAGA AGGTTGTCTA CT #TCACCAGA    840 TGTAATCCAG GGCCACCAGC CAAGAGACAA CCACACTGAT CATGGTGGGT CA #GCTGTACT    900 GATTGTCATC CTGACTTTGG CATTGGCAGC TCTTATATTC CGACGAATAT AT #CTGGCAAA    960 CGAATACATA TTTGACTTTG AGTTATAATA TGGTTTTGTG ACTTATGAGC TG #TGACTCAA   1020 CTGCTTCATT AAACATTCTG CATTGGGTAT AATCTAAAAA AAAAAAA    #              1067 

What is claimed is:
 1. An isolated polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: a) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1-2, and b) a polypeptide comprising a naturally occurring amino acid sequence at least 90% identical over the complete sequence of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1-2, and which retains ubiquitin-conjugating activity.
 2. An isolated polypeptide of claim 1 selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1-2.
 3. A composition comprising a polypeptide of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.
 4. A composition of claim 3, wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1-2.
 5. A method of screening a compound for effectiveness as an agonist of a polypeptide of claim 1, the method comprising: a) exposing a sample comprising a polypeptide of claim 1 to a compound, and b) detecting agonist activity in the sample.
 6. A method of screening a compound for effectiveness as an antagonist of a polypeptide of claim 1, the method comprising: a) exposing a sample comprising a polypeptide of claim 1 to a compound, and b) detecting antagonist activity in the sample.
 7. A method of screening for a compound that specifically binds to the polypeptide of claim 1, the method comprising: a) combining the polypeptide of claim 1 with at least one test compound under suitable conditions, and b) detecting binding of the polypeptide of claim 1 to the test compound, thereby identifying a compound that specifically binds to the polypeptide of claim
 1. 8. A method of screening for a compound that modulates the activity of the polypeptide of claim 1, the method comprising: a) combining the polypeptide of claim 1 with at least one test compound under conditions permissive for the activity of the polypeptide of claim 1, b) assessing the activity of the polypeptide of claim 1 in the presence of the test compound, and c) comparing the activity of the polypeptide of claim 1 in the presence of the test compound with the activity of the polypeptide of claim 1 in the absence of the test compound, wherein a change in the activity of the polypeptide of claim 1 in the presence of the test compound is indicative of a compound that modulates the activity of the polypeptide of claim
 1. 9. A polypeptide of claim 1, comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1.
 10. A polypeptide of claim 1, comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2. 